BHS Insight Oct 2013 - Barnstable Public Schools

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Volume 49, No. 1
Barnstable High School, Hyannis, MA 02601
Football Team Thriving Is BMI T.M.I.?
Schools to No Longer Send
in New Division
Home Letters on Obesity
By Grace Elletson
Staff Writer
photo by Nikki Capeless
Quarterback Kristian Lucashensky (16) sets up on offense during the BC High game which Barnstable won 20-13.
By Cate Harrington
Staff Writer
The Barnstable Red
Raider football team is in a new
division for this current season.
And despite the competition
being tougher, the Raiders have
dominated the field, thus far.
Their record as of Insight’s press
deadline was 4-1, with impressive
wins against powerhouse teams
like Xaverian, New Bedford,
Marshfield and Boston College
High School.
In past years, Barnstable
has been in Division 1A.
According to Barnstable Athletic
director Scott Thomas, the
divisions were based upon the
previous success of the program
and size of the school. This year
due to change in the way playoff
games are scheduled, Barnstable
is now in Division 2.
Also in previous years,
to make it to the playoffs, a team
had to win its league. This is not
the case anymore. Out of the 12
teams in Barnstable’s division
this year, eight of them will make
it to the playoffs. Those eight
teams will be chosen based on a
power ranking system, according
to Thomas. The power system
works as a point system. Teams
gain more points for beating other
teams who have higher rankings,
and less points for teams who are
Continued on pg. 13
There seems to be a
sweeping epidemic sluggishly
creeping it’s way across America
in the form of Hostess donuts
and daytime television: obesity.
Public schools began to tackle
this rapidly growing problem
back in 2005 when they started
sending BMI (Body Mass Index)
letters home to parents to help
monitor their child’s weight and
health. However, this has recently
caused some controversy over
whether or not the letters are an
effective measurement of obesity
or if they’re just demeaning to a
students’ self esteem.
Mrs. Pam Cibrowski,
the Wellness coordinator for
the Barnstable public school
district, explained that the letters
used to be required by law. “The
federal government identified
child obesity as an epidemic
and schools were required to do
something about it,” she said.
As of Oct. 9, the
Massachusetts Public Health
Council voted to eliminate the
requirements for schools to mail
a parent or guardian a report of
each student’s BMI percentile.
Cibrowski explained that the
reason for not sending home
the information is that it simply
wasn’t making a difference
in the obesity rates. Schools
will continue to collect data to
target interventions concerning
weight research, but none will be
reported back to the parents.
Social issues teacher
Barbara Gleason said that
although it’s a good idea for
students and parents to be aware
of their health, sending home
those letters probably isn’t the
best idea. “I’m torn on the subject;
report cards are important to keep
up academically-- and it’s just as
important knowing that you’re
healthy. But, I’m not sure sending
these [letters] are the best way to
do that.”
Some
students
are
turned off from the idea of
receiving a letter about their BMI
information. Junior Madison
Harrington said, “When the
letters were sent home the only
uncomfortable thing was when
others would ask, ‘What does
yours say?’ even if you were
average. I feel like the letters
weren’t a private source for the
individual.”
According to the School
District Health Advisory Council,
in the year 2010-2011, 32.3
percent of Massachusetts students
were considered obese. In the
town of Barnstable, 35.9 percent
of the students were considered
obese based on BMI results.
Continued on pg. 13
The Downfall of the School Dance
By Zoe Calianos
Staff Writer
There is an epidemic
at Barnstable High School. And
no, it is not the common cold.
It is the downfall of the dance.
What should be a staple of the
high school experience -- the
school dance -- is dying. With
the exception of homecoming
and senior prom, ticket sales have
plummeted and a few have even
been cancelled, leaving worried
class officers brain-storming
ways to treat this malady.
The class of 2014 started
planning junior prom last year in
January. The dance was set to be
in April. The event was cancelled
because out of the class of 335
students, only 80 bothered to sign
up.
“It
was
a
huge
disappointment and a waste of
time,” said Senior Class President
Colby Blaze. Blaze is concerned
about the dropping numbers of
dance participation because he
wants “a sweet senior year and an
awesome senior gift.”
In regard to the
cancellation of the junior dance,
Mr. Brent Jansen, BHS history
teacher and senior class advisor
said that when only 80 students
sign up, it is not even a class
event anymore. Jansen covered
the cost of the canceled junior
dance with his own money. He
said that he knew how hard the
officers worked on that dance,
and he didn’t want its failure to
hurt the class.
Morgan
Bentivegna,
senior class secretary, expressed
a similar opinion. She said, “For
us, we’re losing the money and
the class feel. You don’t feel
as united when no one wants to
participate.”
Bentivegna has helped
plan and set up for homecoming
every year since eighth grade.
This includes going out into the
community to ask for donations,
Continued on pg. 13
photo by Emily McMahon
Gabe Kuhn, Will O’Day, Griffin Burke, Cooper Blaze, Matthew Rezendez, and Nathan Yingling all
strike poses while trying to make the best of homecoming.
Sports Photos pg. 20 Get to Know Your Counselors pg. 12 Powder Puff pg. 8 Woodshop pg. 14
2 A
opinion
Masking
Creativity
piece of paper and a pencil lay in front of you. You are asked
to create anything: a drawing, a sculpture, music lyrics; anything. But
absolutely nothing comes to mind. Some may even be paralyzed by a
fear of doing something “wrong.” Your classmates say, “Google it!”,
“just look it up!” but it’s still impossible for you to make an original
mark on the paper
Even before children begin their education, they are naturally
creative and blossoming with ideas. But from the moment students
step into the “assembly line” we call school, their creativity levels are
somehow diminished at a constant rate until graduation. It seems like
teachers, counselors, parents and even students have become swept
up in a system that is rewarding quantity over quality. Because of a
substantial workload, students are crumbling under the stress.
In a way, it’s simple. School facilitates competition. And, of course,
competition can be fundamental for reaching goals and pushing
yourself beyond your boundaries. But it’s also become one of the
leading reasons for growing rates of anxiety, mental disorders and
suicide rates among children.
We create these mental “check boxes” for ourselves and if we
can’t fill them, we’ve failed. For students, it’s all about appealing to
a college. From countless AP classes, to careless community service
hours, students are, in a sense, becoming less and less unique. We are
afraid to be different and interesting because it’s not what the collegebound are used to. And it’s become “embarrassing” to be taking a
regular CP class. But in reality, the main factor a college looks for in a
student is diversity. They want to see students following their passions
and enjoying what they love instead of taking a math course that they
know they’ll be miserable in. “We are alienating kids who don’t feel
like they can do well in school,” said Sir Ken Robinson, New York
Times bestselling author of The Element.
With the pressures of increased
workloads, including standardized
testing for students, schools are
struggling to facilitate critical and
creative thinking in their classrooms.
According to a Live Science article by Rachel Rettner, in 2010,
Kyung Hee Kim, a creativity researcher at The College of William and
Mary, studied almost 300,000 creativity tests going back to the 1970s.
She found that creativity has continued to decline among children since
1990 at an almost constant rate. And that they are less humorous and
imaginative and have deteriorated in their ability to elaborate on ideas.
With the pressures of increased workloads, including standardized
testing for students, schools are struggling to facilitate critical and
creative thinking in their classrooms. Don’t forget, teachers have
“check boxes” too. With a set curriculum to follow, there is less time
for discussions and apparently plenty of time for lectures.
In an Aeon Magazine article, Peter Gray asks society, “Do we need
more people who are good at memorizing answers to questions and
feeding them back? Who dutifully do what they are told no questions
asked?” Because of this concrete thinking, we consider memorization
as defining a person’s intelligence. And due to this separation of
“academic people” and “non-academic people,” we are overlooking
brilliant individuals who don’t believe they are smart, said Ken
Robinson.
So now, students are copying the examples set by other peers
and are competing to replicate each other until they have atomized
ourselves altogether. But we shouldn’t be boxing ourselves off to our
“competition,” as much as we should be collaborating with our peers.
In order to create a productive and critically prospering classroom,
there needs to be collaboration. Socratic seminars, group work and
discussions can foster creativity in a classroom and bring along with
it excitement for the students. We shouldn’t be dreading entering class
each day, we should be eager for what the next class holds.
Everyone is born with the ability to create, but it’s our choice to feed
that creativity, not stifle it by competing in a “check box” competition
for college. We live in a new age. And our parents and the average
guidance counselor can’t help us release our own creativity. It’s up
to us, as individuals, to allow ourselves to uncover this creativity and
express our own uniqueness.
The “Creativity Crisis,” as Newsweek called it, has become a problem
in our nation, especially in our schools. With such a rigid education
success structure, it will take time to bring back our lust for creativity,
but it’s possible. In her Live Science article, Rettner stated, “creativity
is innate, so it can’t really be lost. But it needs to be nurtured.” We all
have the ability to create; it’s just a matter of unleashing it.
Cheap Clothes at
What Cost?
editorial cartoon by Claire Sawayanagi
By Emma Childs
Staff Writer
When was the last time
you looked at the tag on your
tee shirt? I mean really looked at
it, not in contempt right before
snipping it off for it being itchy.
If you stopped and read the
important details on those squares
you might stop and think twice
before shopping at your closest
Forever 21.
I took a look at the tag
description on one of my favorite
sweaters from H&M and realized
it was made in Bangladesh. I
did a little research and I was
astonished at what I discovered.
Last April in Dhaka, Bangladesh,
a clothing factory collapsed,
killing nearly 1,127 people and
injuring 2,500.
Upon further research,
it was revealed that the owner of
the building had illicitly added
more floors and installed heavy
equipment that the building
could not support. These
innocent factory workers were
employed by companies such
as Gap, Sears, and J.C. Penny.
The Bangladesh collapse is one
of the deadliest events in the
garment industry and it certainly
raised the attention of consumers,
many of whom are teens like us.
Every time we buy an
item from these corporations we
are contributing to the cycle of
mistreatment. Only two percent of
US companies produce their own
clothes in the US and everything
else is imported. These fashion
factories are taking over the
consumer market and the word
“quality” can no longer hold its
own when quantity is the main
priority. I know it’s cheap to buy
from these mega fashion chains,
but at what cost are we focusing
more on being hip and trendy
than on basic human rights? That
blouse might be $38, but the
worker in the factory who made
it might only make $38 a month.
Yes, I agree, there is nothing better
than the feeling of adding four
new items to your wardrobe for
what used to be the price of one
jacket, but ask yourself, how long
will these last? After the fourth
wash, your favorite sweater will
be nothing but jumbles of acrylic
thread.
These shoddy fabrics
and cheap construction are a
way of cutting corners in the
production of the item, and I am
not going to participate anymore.
For us teenage shopaholics, our
biggest weakness is the need to
have all the new trends as soon as
possible. And companies like Zara
and H&M allow this to happen all
while keeping your wallet happy.
Unfortunately, these companies
are churning out identical copies
of the same product while
sacrificing the actual quality of
every single item. It’s quick and
cheap, not to mention, horrible
for the environment.
According to The New
York Times Upfront magazine,
“Every year in America, 20 billion
garments are purchased and ten
pounds of clothes, on average, are
thrown away by each person.” An
alternative to stopping at the mall
for your fall fashions is trying
some local boutiques. Amanda
Converse and Justine Coppenrath
run Shift Eco Boutique on Main
Street, Hyannis. Shifts’ mission
is to educate people about ecofashion
and
environmental
causes, while offering fresh styles
and hip clothes. It is important
to be conscious of what you are
wearing and form a connection
with your clothes.
Big corporate fashion
industries have discovered a
loophole in production and I think
it is ruining individuality and the
creativity of design. I urge you to
do some research the next time
you shop. Not only find out what
the item is made of, but where
it was made. Even the smallest
purchase you make can make a
difference.
Insight Staff 2013-2014
Editing Staff
Editor-in-Chief
Zoe Calianos
Features Editor:
Emily Penn
Sports Editor:
Cate Harrington
Arts, Etc. Editor:
Jenny Griffin
Op-Ed Editor:
Liam Russo
News Editor:
Grace Elletson
Photo Editor:
Claire Sawayanagi
Business Manager:
Mary Anglin
Social Media Editors:
Ana Coutinho
Emma Gauthier
Reporting Staff
Orlando Henry
Emily McMahon
Julianne Santos
Nikki Capeless
Ally Isemen
Madeline Terrio
Maggie McNulty
Emma Childs
Follow us on Twitter @BHSInsight for sports reports, updates, school news, and much more! We
also welcome comments, criticisms and letters to
the editor at [email protected].
opinion
Snapshot:
By Emily McMahon
Staff Writer
“Cat Woman.”
--Morgan Bilodeau, Senior
“Mad Hatter.”
What fictional character would you
want to be for halloween?
“Raphael, the Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtle.”
--Trenton Cameron, Sophomore
“Malfoy, from Harry Potter.”
--Sophie Mitrokostas, Senior
“Mermaid Man from Spongebob.”
-- Ethan Clifford, Junior
“Ted from the movie Ted.”
-- Zico Simao, Freshman
3
--Meghan Lawton, Senior
“The Old Lady who Lived in a Shoe.”
“Ariel, from the Little Mermaid.”
-- Mrs. Maria Pierozzi,
Personal Development Head
-- Ryan Melley, Senior
#TakeYourPic: Instagram or Vine
By Claire
Sawayanagi
Staff Writer
Instagram is a
fast, fun and creative way
to share your life with
friends and family with the
click of a button. All you
have to do is capture your
memorable moment with
either a photo or video, add
a filter to make it artsy, tag
your friends, and maybe
even share it to another
social media site such
as Facebook, Twitter, or
Tumblr.
Unlike
Vine,
Instagram
has
the
popular option of taking
a photograph, instead of
just a video. It also rarely
glitches and has amazing
picture quality. When you
take your picture or video,
you have the option of
transforming it with one of
19 custom designed filters,
which gives an entirely
different feel to the photo.
Also, there is linear and
radial tilt-shift blur effects
to make the picture have
more depth. Vine is not
capable of fulfilling any of
these qualities.
The best thing
about Instagram is being
able to follow friends
and family. By “follow”,
I mean seeing all of the
photos they post in your
news feed and being able
to like or comment on any
of them. Even celebrities
such as Harry Styles,
Taylor Swift, and Justin
Bieber have personal
Instagram accounts that
you can follow and are
open to the public to see
their lives through their
own camera lense.
Nervous about people you
do not know following
you? Instagram provides
the option of making your
account private, so people
who intend to follow you
can send you a request,
and you can personally
accept or deny their
request; similar to
Facebook or Twitter.
Unfortunately,
Vine
does not have this
helpful and safe option.
It’s always fun to
comment and like your
friend’s photos, but do
you ever get curious on
what pictures your friends
are liking? With one tap on
the bottom of the screen,
Instagram keeps track of
everyone that has liked
each of your own pictures,
but also shows you the
recent activity of the
people you follow.
Instagram also has the
hashtag option as a search
engine to find people
with familiar interest. For
example, people with a
passion for fashion can post
a picture of their “outfit
of the day” and hashtag
it as “#ootd.” Others
can search the hashtag
“#ootd” and have an
endless stream of pictures
of people’s outfits around
the world. Want to start
eating healthy? Search the
hashtag “#healthychoice”
or “#healthyliving” to
find a variety of pictures
on how people choose to
stay healthy. There are
unlimited hashtags, and, of
course, unlimited photos.
There are also
hashtag trends for the
days of the week. If it’s a
Thursday, you will most
likely find the hashtag “tbt”
or “throwback Thursday”
By Jenny Griffin
Staff Writer
This
summer,
the world of apps was
taken by storm with
Vine; a fresh new way
to capture moments with
looped, six second, handcrafted videos. Months
later, Instagram, a photo
sharing app with vintage
style filters, decided it was
necessary to create a video
VS.
flooding through every
Instagramer’s feed. This
is a fun way to dedicate
Thursdays to a past
memory when you were
younger. Along
with
# M a n C r u s h M o n d a y,
there
is
also
#WomanCrushWednesday,
or
if
you
missed
#tbt, there is always
#FlashbackFriday with the
same concept.
Like Instagram
more than Vine? Take an
Instagram picture of you
reading Insight using the
Inkwell filter and share
it with us on Twitter. Top
it off with the hashtag
“#bhsinsight” and also
follow us on Twitter!
feature on their already
solid app. A video feature
not too different from the
ever climbing Vine.
H o n e s t l y,
Instagram video can’t
compare to Vine.
Vine burst onto
the smartphone scene as
a simple way to capture
videos. All one must do is
touch the screen and hold
it until he has captured the
sequence desired. The clip
can be snippy, long, stop
motion, you name it. As
long as it’s at or under six
seconds, you are one click
away from sharing your
creation with the world.
Why six seconds?
Well, the makers of vine
chose six simply because
five seconds was too short,
10 was too long, and 15
was boring. Six seconds
proved to be the perfect
length;
however,
the
ending seemed a bit abrupt.
Sensing this awkward
ending, the makers of
Vine made it so at the
end of the videos, it loops
back around automatically
starting from the top. This
makes for a never ending
illusion and allows for the
viewer to process the
speedy clip in more
than one take.
Unlike
Vine,
Instagram
videos
are an excessive
15 seconds. In our
society, we crave
to be entertained
immediately.
We
require so much
instant entertainment that
a 15 second video with a
dull beginning could have
an ending bursting with
action, but unfortunately,
its too late, since the
viewer scrolled down out
of boredom before they
finished it.
Instagram
also
lacks the unique loop
feature that Vine has.
When the video is over,
it’s over. The only way to
restart is to painstakingly
press the finicky play
button in hopes it will start
again. Oh, and be careful
of accidentally liking
someone’s
Instagram
video, because double
tapping the video “likes”
the video as well, creating
an embarrassing situation
when you don’t actually
like the video.
On both outlets
you have a profile, but
unlike the photo/video/
whatever app, Vine gives
you the ability to “revine”
other users’ Vines that you
find entertaining. When
you revine something,
it will appear on your
profile alongside your own
original vines. With this
feature, Vines can quickly
rise in popularity and has
become the go to app for
aspiring comedians, artists,
singers, and parents with
amusing kids.
Don’t get me
wrong, I love Instagram.
The way it transforms
average iPhone shots
into
old
fashioned,
artsy pictures can really
spark the creative wire.
However, I think we can all
agree that poor Instagram
is having a mid-life crisis.
Maybe the Earlybird filter
was too bright one day
and Instagram thought it
was Vine? I’m not really
sure what happened, but
one thing is clear: Vine
will always be the original
video sharing app while
Instagram
videos
are
a confused, 15 second
mistake. When making
the decision of which app
to share your videos with,
always choose the original.
4
Summer Camp: Home
Away From Home
opinion
Glimpses into the
Camp Experience
Clare Terrio
Cape Cod Sea Camps in
Brewster
Camper for seven
summers
“A lot of my best friends that I met are at camp, so I love going back
and seeing them. I only get to experience that time two months of
the year.” Terrio’s camp has traditions of its own. At the end of the
summer, her age group stands in a circle holding a piece of string. They
each say the best part of their summer, cut the string, and wear it on
their wrist until the next summer. “It’s a way to always have camp with
you,” commented Terrio.
photo contributed by Emily Penn
Above, the oldest age group at Tripp Lake Camp is posed in front of the theater known as OTW
(Over The Wall) before their performance on stage. Below is a scenic view overlooking Tripp Lake.
Stephanie Griffin
JH Ranch in California
Camper for three
summers
Emily Penn
Staff Writer
To most Barnstable High
School students, summertime
means enjoying the salty ocean
breezes and relaxing by the beach.
For me, the second summer
begins I head off-Cape to Poland,
Maine.
I step off the bus and am
surrounded by grassy fields and
a gorgeous water view of Tripp
Lake. The white swim docks
lie near bright colored sailboats
bobbing in the water. The endless
green colored buildings -- bunks,
the dining hall, the infirmary,
greenies (bathrooms) -- are all
around. Twenty tennis courts lay
near basketball courts, lacrosse
and soccer fields, and the best
area of all: simply “under the
trees” surrounded by shadecovered Adirondack chairs. And
in the distance is a giant tree with
branches enclosing four wooden
swings, and a small, but vivid,
beautiful garden.
It is a place I know just
as well as home. In fact, this place
is my home. Tripp Lake Camp in
Poland, Maine is how I’ve spent
the past eight summers of my life.
You must think I’m
crazy. Who would want to give
up a summer on the Cape? Well,
call me crazy, but camp is the
only way I can imagine spending
my summers. Camp is my
personal safe haven. I have gone
here each summer with the same
girls from different areas all over
the country, such as New York,
Philadelphia, Boston, and even
California.
Tripp Lake is a sevenweek all girls overnight camp.
All 325 campers live in bunks on
campus (that are the color green,
of course). And all the bunks
make a giant circle surrounded
by a large grassy ground with
a flagpole in the center, where
“I love making life-long friendships there.” Griffin spent two weeks at
camp this summer. The first week was spent in the ranch doing various
activites, and her entire second week was spent going on a bike trip
to the Pacific. Griffin said, “Camp is a great escape from reality for a
couple weeks.”
we have a short assembly every
morning.
Tripp offers everything
imaginable. We play every
land sport possible as well as
watercraft options, like wakeboarding and kayaking. There
is also a row of small green
buildings that are the art shops
including film, photography, arts
and crafts, and a silver jewelrymaking shop. Besides my love
for field hockey and tennis, I have
a particular enjoyment for paddle
boarding, photography, and gaga
ball, a form of dodgeball played
in an octagon ring. The objective
is to hit the ball at people’s feet,
and the only rule is “every man
for themselves.” We take gaga
tournaments very seriously.
But Tripp is so much
more than just a place for sports
and the arts. It’s a place filled
and overflowing with countless
traditions: traditions for team
games, traditions for singing,
traditions for bonfires, traditions
for captains. And believe it or
not, cell phones are not allowed
at camp. Spending my summer
technology-free is such a great
feeling. Although I do get to
call home sometimes, there is
something neat about the old
fashion way of writing and
receiving letters from family and
friends. At camp there truly is
never a worry in the world. We
live in the present, and just enjoy
our time. It is like living in a carefree, fun bubble away from the
“real” world.
Of course, I
love my friends and family at
home, but there is something I
can’t explain about camp friends.
After spending every minute for
seven weeks a summer together,
we become as close as sisters.
This summer was my
final summer spent at Tripp Lake
Camp. I can’t even imagine what
the future summers ahead hold
for me. As much as I love the
Cape in the summertime, Maine
is where I would choose to spend
my summers year after year.
Nothing -- not even the freedom
of having my license and the
glorious beaches on the Cape,
compares. Camp is my home
away from home.
Sadly, next summer
it’s time for me to get a summer
job and say goodbye to my days
at Tripp Lake Camp. Although
I can’t say I’m upset about now
being able to spend a summer
on the Cape, I will greatly miss
returning to camp. It’s truly an
indescribable place.
Dylan Campbell
Barnstable leisure
program at Barnstable
Intermediate School
Counselor for one
summer
“I wanted to let kids have the same experience I had when I was a kid
and went there.” The Barnstable leisure program runs as an eight week
day camp. According to Campbell, they go on trips to the beach twice
a week as well as bowling and to Water Wiz.When asked if he wanted
to return as a counselor next summer, he responded “oh yeah.”
Kerry Francis
Cape Cod Sea Camps in
Brewster
Counselor for 11 years
“What I love about camp is that you have all these different kids from
different backrounds come together.” Francis quickly fell in love with
camp as a teenager and instantly knew it was what she wanted to do
the rest of her life. Although Francis has only been at CCSC for 11
years, she hasn’t missed a summer of camp since she was 16 years old.
At camp, Francis is a counselor for the JC program and also teaches
swimming lessons.
opinion
We Love...
Online College
Process
As a senior this year,
starting the college process at
the end of my junior year really
helped me know what I would
face this fall. Last year, my
English teacher had us write
our recommendation letters
to teachers, fill out a resume,
practice with the Common App,
and write our college essay. Doing
all of that early put me a step
ahead of the game. In addition,
this year, counselors decided to
move everything online through
Naviance. And now seniors don’t
have to mail recommendations
and wait anxiously to see if they
even reached the colleges they’re
applying to. Sending everything
electronically will definitely keep
all the seniors organized, which is
a big help when we have a million
other things on our mind. Now
that I can push all of those little
things out of the way, I can focus
more on SATs and applying for
scholarships. And thankfully, I
don’t feel as burdened as I would
be if I hadn’t started earlier.
--Ana Coutinho
Football Sunday
Summer has come to an
end and warm Sundays on the
The Little Things...
beach are long gone. But for me,
give me a good Sunday football
game and I am just as happy as
any beach goer.
Like many New England fans,
my family takes football very
seriously. With work, school,
sports and other activies, families
often don’t spend that much time
with each other during the week.
On football Sunday, the entire
family crowds in the family room
together for at least a couple
of hours. It serves as a nontraditional form of bonding.
Family time is great, but
the best part is the food. There
is nothing like a mean buffalo
chicken dip to put football fans in
a good mood, even if their team is
down in the fourth.
Finally, I find football
Sunday the most relaxing day
of the week. When the weather
is cold and crisp outside, I love
cozying up on the couch with
the tv blaring and the fire going.
Some people meditate to find
peace, but football Sunday is my
zen.
--Madeline Terrio
We Don’t Love...
Senior Activities
The class of 2014, also known
as the guinea pigs for testing out
an 8-12 high school, are excited
to finally partake in the senior
activities. Little did we know,
a few things may be changing.
A couple meetings were held,
powderpuff is gone-for good, but
one particular meeting had all the
students strung out.
The traditional senior breakfast
may be changed to senior lunch
and bowling. I’m sure many of
you know The Lanes in Mashpee
Commons, a great new bowling
alley that also serves lunch...
how convenient. But, who wants
to wait around for a whole class
to bowl? The senior breakfast
has proven to be a hit, so why
change it now? Everybody loves
breakfast food.
Another suggestion that was
made was changing around field
day, a day of competition for the
seniors versus the juniors; all fun
and games -- nothing physical.
Field day, the new tradition at
BHS involving only seniors and
juniors, could now be opened to
the whole school. That means
grades 8-12, leaving not only a
big confusing mess, but probably
also a lack of participation from
the juniors and seniors.
Field day is supposed to
be a physical day full of friendly
competition. Yes, the seniors
still have the urge to beat the
juniors, but now tossing in the
rest of the school is not only more
competition, but also silly. Field
day usually takes about two to
three hours, which includes most
games with only seniors and
juniors. So if we involve the rest
of the grades, it would take about
five hours!
The seniors and juniors
have always had some sense of
competition and now it’s being
taken away because we want the
rest of the school to be involved?
Why can’t we involve them in
something else and stop making
changes to the seniors activities?
Most of them have been extremely
successful, there doesn’t seem to
be a need to change them now.
Sure, it’s normal for people to
want to change things up, but at
least let seniors have the final say
on their own events.
--Nicole Capeless
New Laws in the Jr/Sr
Lunchroom
Bells alert us when to
switch blocks; there is a timed
schedule of when we can and
can’t eat; and we can’t exit the
building until 1:55 p.m., even
for a moment. The comparison
between school and jail is
more than just teenage drama,
it’s legitimate. And this year,
crackdowns in the lunch room
have limited our choices even
more.
When the weather is
nice, I enjoy getting some fresh
air and eating outside. We are
lucky to have such a well-kept
quad attached to the senior/junior
cafe. There are four different
sets of doors on the outside of
the quad, and, more than once,
5
a teacher has told me that I am
only allowed to exit through the
cafeteria door. In a few months,
I can vote and serve in the army.
But I can’t leave the cafeteria
through the door that is closest to
my classroom?
Also, our lunches are
supposed to last 28 minutes. This
year, teachers have asked us to
leave up to 10 minutes before we
need to be in our next class. As
complex as walking through the
hallway is, it doesn’t take that
long.
Teachers are sometimes
also enforcing a four-chairs-toa-table rule in the Junior/Senior
Caf. Only allowing four chairs
at each table causes students to
choose between friends. This
is a mixed message because I
have had it drilled into my head
that high school is about being
inclusive. So don’t worry if
you get stuck with three people
who you’ve rarely ever talked
to before, because lunch flies
by when you’re dismissed 10
minutes early.
Lunch is an oasis to a
high school student. It’s a time to
eat, socialize, and unwind. These
new cafeteria rules are demeaning.
I understand that the school is
concerned with our safety. But
especially as upperclassmen, I
think we’re capable of consuming
our PB&J’s without all the new
restrictions.
--Zoe Calianos
6
Hot Button Issue:
news
Ads for theYoung, and the Beautiful
By Grace Elletson
Staff Writer
Advertisers
are
constantly looking for new ways
to entice customers through their
companies’ doors. Over decades
of evolving strategies to lure
profits, there seem to be two very
divergent methods being used
by various different businesses:
inclusive
and
exclusive
advertising.
Inclusive advertising is
a method that involves slogans,
pictures and representation that
is directed toward everybody-no matter ethnicity, gender, or
body type. Exclusive advertising
targets a specific group of people
with advertising methods solely
projected towards the type of
people they’d like to see using
their products.
Recently, there’s been
some uproar about certain types
of exclusionary advertising and
store management that could be
labeled discriminatory. Robin
Lewis released a book in 2012
called The New Rules of Retail,
which included a 2006 interview
with Mike Jefferies, CEO of
Abercrombie & Fitch and
Hollister. During that interview,
Jefferies said, “That’s why we
hire good looking people in our
stores. Because good looking
people attract other good looking
people. We don’t market to
anyone other than that. In every
school there are the cool and
popular kids, and then there are
the not-so-cool kids. Candidly,
we go after the cool kids. We go
after the attractive all- american
kid...A lot of people don’t belong
[in our clothes,] and they can’t
belong. Are we exclusionary?
Absolutely.” His comments
became more widespread this
summer and caused much
controversy.
“I think it’s sick,” said
Mrs. Barbara Gleason, a social
issues teacher, in reaction to
the interview “...but he’s right,
he’s making money and staying
successful.” She explained that
because advertising is evolving
at such a rapid pace, it’s hard for
marketers to keep up, but they
can always rely on the fact that
sex sells.
However,
others
don’t seem to think much of
the messages being projected
towards buyers. Freshman Zico
Simao said, “That’s not going
to keep away people, it’s just
an [advertisement] not a rule.
You shouldn’t feel insecure, you
should just buy the clothes.”
The profit margins of
Abercrombie & Fitch plumet,
rise, and repeat. The company’s
demise seems to be predicted
every year, but its been yet
to come. It doesn’t seem that
photo from Google
Jes Baker, who runs her own blog, conducted a mock Abercrombie & Fitch photo shoot to send a
message about size equality in the fashion world. “I challenge the separation of attractive and fat,
and I assert that they are compatible regardless of what you believe,” she wrote in a letter to the
Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jefferies.
Jefferies’ comments have had any displayed like all the other is to be “beautiful.”
Gleason also said, “A lot
impact on the companies’ profits. clothing. There have even been There’s also an ongoing legal case some petitions organized against of companies are sending positive
in Paris, that’s in the process of Lululemon to create clothing for messages with success. Toms and
Dove are making it work. It comes
being proved, that Abercrombie plus sized women as well.
Despite the exclusionary down to what kind of character
& Fitch is discriminating against trend, there has recently been an these leaders of companies have.”
who they hire in their stores.
Toms shoes advertises
It’s not just Abercrombie increase in inclusive advertising. & Fitch not complying with Forever 21 and H&M recently with the promise that for every
diversity, other stores like came out with plus size clothing pair of shoes bought, a child in
Lululemon have little to no lines. Dove has also been fueling Africa receives a pair, too. Keds
plus-size clothing, according to the Real Beauty campaign for has a new jointed advertising
a Huffington Post article. And if young girls being pressured strategy with Taylor Swift. Their
the certain store is stocked, the by society to live up to the slogan is, “Here’s to the brave
biggest size (12) isn’t clearly expectation that their goal in life girls.”
BHS Students “Get Up and Move”
photo by Emma Gauthier
Student reactions were at first apprehensive, but they mostly grew to like the leisurely walk.
By Emma Gauthier
Staff Writer
On Wednesday, Sept.
18, nearly 2,000 Barnstable High
School students and staff walked
the perimeter of the school for
the first ‘Get Up and Move’ TGA
activity. Despite some student
and staff concern, the event was
a huge success, according to
Physical Education Coordinator
Maria Pierozzi.
“[The
health
department] was absolutely
amazed at the behavior and buy-in
from the students,” said Pierozzi.
“We anticipated the event going
either way, and we were happy it
was so positive.”
Physical
activity
during TGA is aimed at proving
Barnstable is making efforts to
meet MASS core standards, which
requires a physical education
course for every student. BHS is
reforming its traditional schedule
to incorporate these guidelines,
which will be in effect next year.
Since an entire schedule
change is a massive project, this
year is to serve as a sort of “BandAid” year, to show the state that
BHS is working to comply with
these new guidelines. Movement
during extended TGA is one of
those solutions. However, there
is no graduation requirements
attached to student participation
in these extended TGA activities,
Principal Patrick Clark said.
The Monday before the
event, TGA teachers received a
set of basic guidelines, instructing
them to exit the building through
their fire escape route, turn left,
and keep walking. Students were
invited to listen to music, and
move freely about the throng of
students to converse with friends.
The only stipulation was that
students must check in with their
TGA before leaving the building
for the event, and upon returning
after the 45-minute walk.
“The best part was
that there weren’t really any
rules,” Pierozzi said, “We didn’t
even make anyone walk on the
sidewalk.”
If teachers or faculty
didn’t have a TGA, they were
given a specific job, some of
which included watching the
various exits and entrances
around the school parking lots
and roadways. English teacher
Brooke Styche described her
job as “manning the barricades”
to make sure no student tried to
leave campus, and no car would
come and drive through the
planned walking route.
Substitute teacher David
Lytle’s position was to make
sure students didn’t go inside,
and to be the “bathroom police,”
checking to make sure students
who used the facilities went back
outside to participate.
Student reaction to the
TGA movement was, at first,
generally
negative.
Several
students felt the activity was “a
waste of time” and that it was
“too hot” outside to go walking.
“We could have just had a study
hall,” said junior Ben Ahajjam.
Senior Jackie Keaney
felt the activity was too basic.
“It seems so ridiculous for high
school students to go out and
walk…movement is cool, but you
could see elementary students
doing this.”
However,
attitudes
tended to shift once students were
out and walking.
French teacher Fadner
Pierre said, “It’s a great day
outside. This works out perfectly.
There were some complaints
among students at first, but now
students like it.”
One of those students
was freshman Regan Cullen,
who socialized with his friends
throughout the walk. “This was a
great idea,” said Cullen.
Many other participants
commented that walking around
BHS in the 65 degree and sunny
weather was “much better than
class.”
While there aren’t any
finite plans for extended TGAs
to come, Pierozzi is hopeful the
school will participate in another
walk because it fits the comfort
level of the majority of students
and staff, adding that “it’s
difficult to think of something
else that would be beneficial to
all students at the same time.”
Clark is optimistic the
school is moving in the right
direction in regards to health
and physical education, and that
walking is a good place to start.
“We are making efforts to show
students and staff that this school
values physical education and
wellness.”
news 7
Eighth Grade No Longer In Teams
By Emily Penn
Staff Writer
Say goodbye to those
crowded eighth grade hallways.
The cramped upstairs wings of
Barnstable High School are no
longer only for teams of eighth
graders. In fact, all eighth grader
core teachers made an unanimous
decision last spring with the help
of Principal Patrick Clark and
Superintendent Mary Czjakowski
to get rid of teaming students
together, and keeping them in just
one area of the school.
This year, eighth grade
students do not have four core
academic
teachers
grouped
together. The system of being
teamed with a group of about
100 kids is gone. “The idea
of being in a team is a middle
school structure,” said Clark. According to
Clark, eighth grade teachers are
now being grouped together by
departments. All the English
teachers
have
neighboring
classrooms, as do the science,
math, and history teachers. Unlike
prior years, these classroom
groupings are spread throughout
the school giving students
“significantly more freedom to
walk around the building,” said
Clark. This new structure allows
teachers to collaborate, compare
material, and create similar exams
for students.
Clark believes this
change also gives eighth grade
students an opportunity to
“meet and interact” with upper
classmen.
The original structure
of the Eighth grade being teamed
was to calm parent nerves,
said Clark. Parents had to be
guaranteed their children would
be safe at the high school, so the
students were mostly separated
from the rest of the school. Since
the integration of the eighth grade
over the past four years has been
fairly smooth, concerns over
safety and interactions with upper
classmen have been addressed.
In addition to eighth
graders now moving more freely
throughout the building like
the rest of the students, they are
allowed to take a language course
mixed with freshman students.
According to Clark, the eighth
graders, overall, seemed to do
even better in these mixed classes
than the freshman did.
Eighth grade teacher
Ann Everson has mostly positive
comments on the new structure of
the eighth grade. However, there
“The idea of
being in a team is
a middle school
structure.”
-- Principal Patrick
Clark
are a few things she misses. “I miss the ability of
going to Mrs. Kennard and
checking in with the students,”
said Everson. Math teacher Amy
Kennard had been grouped on
the same team as Everson in
past years. “The feeling that the
students had the opportunity to
bond with at least one out of the
four teachers was nice,” Everson
said.
Everson believed the
hard part of being on a team
“was that everyone fit into a little
box.” Now, there is a lot more
flexibility and space in the once
overflowing, jammed hallways.
She also feels that students who
have older siblings seem to be
less fearful when entering into the
high school. “Kids who want to
be included in athletics and clubs
like drama club seem to love it.”
Current eighth grade
student Izzy Archer likes being
in the high school, although it
is “a big change.” After leaving
the structure of a seventh grade
team behind, she likes not being
teamed. “I like it better because
we get to interact with different
people.”
According to Everson
and fellow eighth grade English
teacher Mike Mulgrew, some
students coming from BIS are
not ready for eighth grade. At
BIS, homework was said to be
optional, and retakes were given
on practically everything. “The
concept of being able to fail
Eighth grade and still pass has to
end,” commented Everson. She
finds students’ biggest challenge
is the change of having their
classes four times a week. “They
love it, but sometimes forget to
do their homework. It’s a learning
curve,” she said. Everson believes
the having an A- average for the
year to be exempt from a final
exam will be a huge motivator.
“I welcome more riggor
and more accountability for the
eighth grade,” said Everson. “As
we move along, we’re hoping
kids can gain credit when they get
in here.”
Also, Everson loves the
idea of being able to talk with
like-minded colleagues, since
they are all right next door to her.
Both
Everson
and
Mulgrew agreed that although
doing time capsules at the end of
the year was a team activity, they
will continue doing time capsules
with their English classes. “It’s
a neat thing,” said Mulgrew.
Both of these teachers said they
love doing the activity and aren’t
willing to let the new changes
stop the tradition.
a diploma. This does not seem to
be a problem for most after the
state said 88 percent of students
met the minimum requirements
on their first try. The year before,
86 percent of students met the
minimum requirement, meaning
that there has been a 2 percent
improvement in the past year.
When it comes to college,
many students seem to be having
difficulty with tougher courses.
40 percent of Massachusetts
public high school graduates
who attend an in-state college
or university, have enrolled in
noncredit development programs.
-Cape Cod Times
states have banned texting for all
age groups, and an additional five
states outlaw texting by novice
teen drivers.
News Notes from Around the World
Charter Public School and
D-Y
Superintendent
Carol
Woodbury, are working together
with the Cape and Islands
District Attorney’s Office on
a program called ‘Keep Them
Coming.’ Whelan and Barnstable
Community
Horace
Mann
Principal Marilee Cantelmo are
now testing the program at the
kindergarten through third grade
Hyannis school.
Because of changes
to the law passed in 2012, the
Massachusetts Department of
Elementary
and
Secondary
Education requires that each
school district has a prevention
program, such as the one in
progress, by August 2015. The
developing program features six
steps meant to impress on parents
or guardians the importance of
students coming to school.
-Cape Cod Times
State:
Photo contributed by Houston Family.
BHS alum Kevin Houston was killed in action in Afghanistan.
By Julianne Santos
Staff Writer
School:
Third
Annual
Houston
Memorial walk/run on Nov. 2
The
third
annual
Houston Memorial 5K walk/run
will be held on Nov. 2, 2013 at
Barnstable High School.
The 5K walk or run is
in memory of former Barnstable
High School students, Kevin
and Miranda Houston. All
proceeds from the event will
go to Barnstable High School
scholarships this school year.
Registration for the third
annual run/walk is online at www.
houstonmemorial5k.com
and
ends on Nov. 1. Volunteers are
needed to help set up this event.
If you are interested, please see
Mrs. McDonald in room 2112.
Local:
Program Aims to Keep Kids in
School
Five years ago in the
Dennis-Yarmouth
Regional
School District, a program to
keep students in class and out
of the court system began. This
program is now spreading to
schools across Cape Cod.
Lisa Whelan, a thirdgrade teacher at Barnstable
Community
Horace
Mann
MCAS scores Rise
In
the
past
two
years, there has been a rising
improvement in the standardized
MCAS
(Massachusetts
Comprehensive
Assessment
System) testing. However, state
education officials are saying
that many graduates are still not
fully prepared for the challenging
academic classes that they face in
college.
Last Spring, recordhigh performances on the exam
taken by 10th-graders were
proclaimed by Gov. Deval
Patrick’s administration. Of the
scores, 91 percent of students
scored proficient or higher on
the English portion of the test, 80
percent for math and 71 percent
for science.
In Massachusetts, it
is required for every student to
pass this test in order to receive
National:
Texing and Driving still a
recurring issue
In a recent teen poll
on the risky behavior, about 58
percent of high school seniors
said they had texted or emailed
while driving during the previous
month. 43 percent of high school
juniors acknowledged they did
the same thing, according to the
Transportation Secretary Ray
LaHood in a previous article.
For the survey, the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention
last year questioned more than
15,000 public and private high
school students across the
country. Some earlier studies
had suggested teen texting while
driving was becoming common,
though perhaps not quite so high.
In America, deaths
caused by distracted driving are
most common in teens, blamed
for about 16 percent of teen motor
vehicle deaths. While driving,
focusing on a cellphone instead
of the road leads to delayed
reaction times, lane swerves
and other lapses can cause fatal
consequences, experts say.
As for laws, thirty-nine
photo from Google
International:
Popes To Be Canonized
Popes John XXIII and
John Paul II will be declared
saints in April, according to the
Vatican earlier this month. It will
be the first time two popes will be
canonized at the same time.
In order to be named a
saint one must “put a holy life and
two miracles together,” according
to the Catholic law.
Even before John Paul
II was buried, thousands of calls
around the world were made
to canonize the pope. After
bypassing the normal five-year
waiting period, Pope Benedict
XVI set in motion the process to
canonize his predecessor.
Sister Marie SimonPierre, a French nun stricken by
Parkinson’s disease, is said to
have miraculously been cured by
John Paul several months after his
death. According to the church,
the second miracle occurred
when a Costa Rican woman with
a brain aneurism recovered after
praying to John Paul.
John XXIII, revered for
his role in the Second Vatican
Council, is only recorded as
having performed one miracle
after his death in 1963.
-CNN.com
8
news
Seventh Graders to get iPads
By Jenny Griffin
Staff Writer
The modern student is
ditching the pencil. He is locking
up three ring binders and throwing
away the key. She is trading paper
for “Google Docs” while he is
playing “Candy Crush” instead of
“Go Fish”. The modern student
is rapidly moving towards a
fully electronic way of living and
learning. In our own backyard,
this digital movement will hit the
classroom full force in January
when Barnstable Intermediate
School students receive iPads.
Seventh and eighth
grade students are being given
the unique opportunity to further
their learning with an Apple iPad.
Seventh grade students will be
given their own iPads that they
will be allowed to use in and out
of school while sixth graders will
only be able to have access to
them in school.
You might be wondering
why don’t Barnstable High
School students get iPads? Well,
since the seventh grade students
have ILT (Information Literacy
Technology) class, “they have
been creating accounts, writing
their own blogs, and collecting
a wealth of skills to help them
navigate the digital world,”
explained Patricia Gardiner,
assistant principal at BIS.
The iPads are meant
for the students to learn how to
be comfortable with technology
and prepare them for college and
careers. However, students such
as 7th grader Pat Harrington are
looking forward to other aspects
of the iPads “I’m excited to get
my own iPad so I can play Candy
Crush, and do school work too.
I think it will be a great, fun
resource.”
“Although this
influx of gadgets
is for educational
purposes, students are infamous for finding
cracks in the system and gaining
access to forbidden activities
such as tweeting
or updating your
status.”
Although this influx
of gadgets is for educational
purposes, students are infamous
for finding cracks in the system
and gaining access to forbidden
activities such as tweeting or
updating your status.
Powder Puff
Still a No
photo by Grace Elletson
A seventh grader, Kate Elletson, demonstrates one of the programs on her personal iPad.
According to the Cape
Cod Times, more than 300 Los
Angeles students who had been
given iPads, “promptly cracked
the security settings and started
tweeting, posting to Facebook
and playing video games.”
Renee Hobbs, director
of the Harrington School of
Communication and Media at
the University of Rhode Island
explained that “it’s crucial, to
spend extensive time drawing
students into a discussion on
using iPads responsibly before
handing them out. And, of course,
installing a firewall that can’t be
easily breached.”
Kate Elletson, also a
seventh grader at BIS expressed
her gratitude and respect for the
iPads. “It is very generous for
them to let us use the iPads, but
I’m excited to use them with
projects, Brainpop, and apps.”
Elletson expressed her concern
about the treatment of the iPads
and thinks that “if everyone in the
team pitched in to buy cases for
the iPads, it would be great!”
“The purpose of the
iPads is to provide our students
with a tool that will allow them
to research, create, collaborate,
manage and publish their work.
Students are heading into a fastpaced technological work world
that requires them to be problem
solvers and thinkers,” said
Gardiner.
While students and staff
eagerly await the arrival of the
complete set of iPads, they have
been using carts that contain 30
iPads for each team to use.
Even with a petiton,
admin is adamant
By Ana Coutinho
Staff Writer
During the 2011-2012
year, Barnstable High School
students were told that Powder
Puff would not be returning
after the last game became too
intense between the junior and
senior classes, leading to violent
incidents. Last year, several
junior students were outraged by
the decision and have been trying
to bring it back since by voicing
their opinions to Principal Patrick
Clark and the 2014 class advisor.
After being told that
it was still not an option, some
students even took it upon
themselves to go even further
with their goal of reinstating
Powder Puff to Spirit Week
activities. Scott Girvan, senior,
started a petition at the end of
last year and has more than 320
signatures since then, including
many teachers.
“It’s been a school
tradition, especially at Barnstable,
for a very long time, “ said Girvan.
“It’s been around since before my
brother graduated 10 years ago.”
In order to reinstate the
game, organized and precise set
of rules and guidelines must be
created, added Girvan.
“It’s a tradition and it
was taken away from us for the
most unreasonable reasons and
we’re being punished for the
classes before us,” said Stephanie
Martin, senior. “They think we’re
going to repeat history.”
Many students agree
with this statement, however,
Mr. Brent Jansen, the 2014 class
advisor said, “The question is,
does it matter that it’s a different
class? They’re still susceptible
to the same problems.” Jansen
said that a student broke her
foot and people were rigging the
game; he’d rather find a different,
spirited,
and
competitive
environment that everybody can
have fun in, during the week
leading up to the Thanksgiving
game.
The 2012 and 2011 classes were the last ones to ever play Powder Puff again at BHS.
Jansen also added that Barnstable
isn’t the only school that has
banned Powder Puff; other
schools, such as Newton South
banned it as well for being
“sexist”.
“People
started
to
recognize that [Powder Puff] is
outdated in a lot of ways,” said
Jansen.
This fall, the principal of
Newton South, Joel Stembridge,
stated in a letter to parents,
“[Powder Puff] inadvertently
serves to mock the hard-fought
struggles of female athletes to
be taken seriously and, we think,
perpetuates negative stereotypes
about femininity and female
athletes.”
He also added, “The
game, and the lead-up to the
game, destabilizes our normally
supportive,
welcoming,
intimidation-free
school
environment.”
Newton South called
the game “sexist” and negative
against women and girls
throughout schools.
“I actually don’t think
it’s sexist at all. I think it’s the
opposite of sexist,” said Girvan.
“The boys get to play [football]
so why can’t we give the girls a
chance?”
Also, according to
Stembridge,
Powder
Puff
“engages in inauthentic and
Insight File Photo
dangerous behavior.”
After the Powder Puff
incident, Jansen said that they
weren’t trying to ban Powder
Puff, but rather replace it with
Field Day the last couple of years.
It just hasn’t gotten much of an
enthusiastic reaction so far with
the upperclassmen, he added.
Jansen
intends
to
create a day where everyone
can be involved and promotes
fun and friendly competition.
Powder Puff promotes harmful
competition and the girls that
play are susceptible to any sort
of violence so a different activity
needs to be created that everyone
will enjoy, said Jansen.
news
Class Sizes Vary from Huge to Tiny
By Mary Anglin
Staff Writer
You walk into your
French class to find that there
are no more available seats. The
mass of students in your class
probably just exceeds 30. The
classroom is loud, disheveled,
and largely chaotic, aside from
the fact that it is only the first day
of school. Next block, you find
that your English class of a mere
11 students contains only empty
seats and cricket chirps. How can
there be such difference in size
from one class to another?
French teacher Mr.
Fadner Pierre said there are no
benefits to having a large class.
Ideally, he believes class size
should be capped at a smaller
number of 20-22 students to
prevent overcrowding.
“Even on the first day,
the kids’ reactions were surprised
when they saw that there weren’t
enough desks,” he recalled. “Just
going around the room, saying
their name and what they did over
the summer took 50 minutes.”
Pierre has four classes:
Two French 2 classes with 28
and 29 students, and a French 3
class with 29 students, however
his French 4 class, includes only
seven students.
Students and teachers
alike can suffer from being part of
a larger class. The rapid learning
of a lesson in fifty minutes or
less often results in more than a
few students asking for help after
class or after school, because
they don’t get the opportunity to
ask questions during their class.
This leads to many students not
even bothering to ask for help
or telling their teacher they’re
having trouble.
Math teacher Mrs.
Wendy Johnson has classes
ranging from 23 up to 30 students.
“It puts more responsibility on
the student, because if they need
help, they’re having to stay after
school, versus getting help during
class,” she said.
Johnson believes that
smaller classes would benefit
the average student, because
in a larger setting, teachers are
able to give more personalized
instruction.
Mrs. Brooke Styche, an
AP language and composition
teacher, doesn’t have this
particular issue, with two classes
of 14 and 15 students.
“Smaller is really ideal
for English, it allows for quicker
feedback in grading lengthy
papers. I’m really lucky for small
numbers,” she said.
In
some
instances
though, bigger really is better
according to Styche. “With
smaller classes, your discussion
isn’t as varied, voices are always
the same, and students end up
working in the same partners and
trios.”
Although teachers and
students may feel constrained
in their classes, according to the
B2B Undergoes
Leadership
Changes
By Brendan W. Clark
Contributing Writer
The
Channel
22
studio has recently undergone a
leadership change. Dustin Devlin,
former educational technology
Coordinator, has accepted a
new job in Boston. The new
coordinator is Jim Gilbert.
Devlin left on Sept.
20, only a few days before the
first broadcast of this year’s first
“BHS Today” episode aired. He
was offered a job working in a
public relations firm that is closer
to his current home in Somerville.
Devlin said
he is, “greatly
looking forward to something
new and different.”
Devlin’s new job is at
Schwartz MSL Group. He will
supervise and produce videos
for various companies who
work with the firm in order to
help promote their products.
As a digital specialist, he looks
forward to working with cutting
edge technological companies
and cancer research groups.
But Devlin couldn’t
leave without first leaving his
mark on the studio. He started
during the first studio renovation
in the fall of 2009, and just
completed this year’s newly
designed studio, with the help
of a team of dedicated student
volunteers.
While he knows he
will be missed, Devlin said he is
leaving with great satisfaction.
He said that this job offers a
chance to work with students, but
also a chance to work with the
technology and equipment that he
enjoys.
Working at B2B had its
humorous moments for Devlin as
well. When the 2009 renovations
first began, Devlin went out to
local business for donations,
and went to Coachlight Carpets
in search of new flooring for
the studio set. Dressed in a suit
and tie, Devlin showed up at
Coachlight Carpets ready to make
his pitch. As he tried to explain
how advertising could be offered
to the business, the owner came
in and said, “Kid. I don’t care
who you are. I never watch your
lousy TV show anyways. Just tell
me what you want.” Coachlight
Carpets soon after donated vast
amounts of flooring to the studio,
which remains in use to this day
9
photo by Brenda Eloy
French three honors, taught by Mr. Pierre, fills up the classroom with almost 30 students.
School Counseling Dept. Head
Jenifer Clark, it is difficult to
predict where class sizes will be
an issue during the scheduling
process.
Clark explained, “All
department heads meet with
Mr. Clark during winter to
discuss staffing. The size limit
is determined by Mr. Clark,
and department heads look at
the number of students versus
number of teachers they have,
and class size is decided from
there.”
Mrs. Clark oversees
counselors, psychologists, the
career counselor, programming,
and builds the master class
schedule. Compared to other
years, she says the ability to
balance classes are a lot better
with the school’s new scheduling
system on X2, but every year
there are particular classes that
get a heavier load of students. “The imbalances can be
caused by blips in the schedule
or students dropping or changing
level of a class,” said Clark.
The long process of
making sure all classes are at
a happy medium is difficult,
according to Clark. The big shift
of students between levels and
courses in the first month or so
of school is part of the reason
some classes are so full while
others are left feeling abandoned.
However, the newly imposed rule
by guidance, which states that
students cannot switch courses,
but only levels in a class, has
helped immensely in not messing
with the entire structure that BHS
staff lays out, said Clark.
“We are really trying to
make the best environment for
students, to give them the optimal
level of learning, with good
discussion and a place where they
can get enough support,” said
Clark.
photo by Emma Gauthier
Former B2B Director Dustin Devlin said that he has had many memorable experiences in the B2B
studio, but he is leaving this fall to take a job in public relations closer to his home near Boston.
as the floor for the set.
Devlin leaves with the
satisfaction that he has helped
many students learn and prosper
within the B2B program. “I have
always felt that this is the best job
ever,” said Devlin. “And I can’t
say that about any other job I’ve
had.”
However, when a new
and exciting opportunity arose,
Devlin jumped at the chance.
He has high hopes for Gilbert
stating “I wished we had known
each other sooner.” But, Devlin is
sure that the new director will be
able to lead B2B to even greater
success.
Without a director, B2B
can not produce its first-rate
newscasts, and so a vigorous hunt
for the new director occurred,
and Gilbert was perfect for the
job as the new educational TV
coordinator. For the past five
years, he has worked around
Eastern Massachusetts as a
freelance television producer, for
various independent institutions.
He is also a musician and member
of the Boston based group, “The
Sheila Divine.”
Gilbert also helped
to produce work for various
companies, from Access Twelve
in Cambridge, to the Boston
University Office of District
Education.
Gilbert is no newcomer
to the Cape, his mother has lived
here for the past 20 years, and he
himself had a “brief stint” at Cape
Cod Community College. This
is Gilbert’s first time working
with high school students, as he
had only worked with college
students in the past.
“I look to expand on
Dustin’s legacy, and to fill the
role with the same level of
camaraderie and professionalism
that Dustin is leaving behind,”
said Gilbert.
10
features
features E = MC Scared
By Liam Russo
Staff Writer
The pumpkin laid there
with no emotion. As each precise
incision was made, the pumpkin’s
past life on the farm was chiseled
away. And as the knife punctured
its rigid walls, the jack o’ lantern
grew angrier. From its malicious
smile, to its glowing white
eyes, the pumpkin had been
transformed into a monster; he
was finally ready.
With her “Herman
Munster” pumpkin in hand,
Sharon Nelson, algebra teacher at
BHS, had her eyes set on gold. The
pumpkin contest had officially
begun. Pumpkins from all shapes
and sizes were carved into
creative designs by contestants
from all over the Cape. There was
only one problem; aside from her,
no contestant was over the age of
10. She won handedly.
The victory was
bittersweet, but she didn’t see the
fun in competition. She enjoys
seeing the smile of a trick-ortreater admiring her freshly
carved doorstep pumpkins far
more than winning some silly
contest.
“I like to do it for
myself,” said Nelson.
And ever since Nelson
was a trick-or-treater herself, she
remembers her neighborhood
lit up each Halloween with
florescent
orange
lights,
intricately carved pumpkins on
nearly every doorstep and even
a haunted house, scary enough to
make or break a Halloween night.
As Nelson grew out
of dressing up in masks and
face paint, she decided to give
pumpkin carving a shot to keep
the Halloween spirit alive in her
neighborhood. Starting out with
the classic, cheaply made knife
and cookie-cutter square carving
kit, Nelson learned the basics of
pumpkin carving. But the grocery
stores techniques just didn’t seem
to turn out as well as Nelson had
hoped. By using simple knives
and chisel tools, she began to
use intricate, time consuming
techniques of shading, chiseling,
and depth to create lively images
of “The Muppets,” “Charlie
Brown,” and even Edgar Allen
Poe. Each year, Nelson improved,
creating glowing images of
historic figures and past TV
shows, creating a strong fan
base in the neighborhood. Each
pumpkin can take at least a few
hours to all night to carve.
“I like to do it
for myself... I
have to make
the art my own
somehow.”
- Ms. Nelson
“I try to do something
that will appeal to both kids and
adults,” said Nelson.
Nelson has always had
a passion for art as far back as
she can remember. She made
sure to sign up for any art class
in high school and college, from
sculpting to painting. But after
reaching intensive level art
classes, Nelson found that she
enjoyed “crafts” far more than
“painting essentials.” She has
made bracelets, necklaces and
even a purse made entirely out of
duct tape. But pumpkins are her
specialty.
“I have to make the art
my own somehow,” said Nelson.
Her love of crafts has even
ventured into the classroom,
as she tries to incorporate art
into a few of her math classes
when time allows. In her algebra
classes, students were able to
create a drawing entirely out of
parent functions this past year.
And with her various math t-shirts
relating to the chapter learned in
class that week, Nelson provides
an enjoyable atmosphere for
students to learn and create.
Aside
from
crafts,
Nelson has also found a true
love for teaching. Growing up
in a family of teachers, Nelson
never in a million years thought
she would want to become a
math teacher. But throughout her
school years, Nelson said she
was fortunate to have a string of
terrific math teachers.
“They made it look so
easy, and they made me want to
do it, too,” said Nelson.
After starting her career
at Sturgis Charter School nine
years ago, Nelson not only found
her love of teaching, but another
one of her many talents.
“The
satisfaction
of watching someone finally
get something that’s hard to
understand drives me the most,”
said Nelson.
To this day, Nelson lives
just down the street from her
childhood home. And after all
of these years, the neighborhood
still remains “the place to go” for
Halloween lovers. Her house has
become a hotspot for not only
trick-or-treaters, but admirers of
her pumpkins who anticipate what
she will place on her doorstep
each year. As for this year, it’s
hard to know what will come of
her world of pumpkins, but one
thing’s for sure, Nelson’s already
thinking of her next masterpiece.
11
photo by Liam Russo
Above, Ms. Nelson holds one of her famous math themed pumpkins. Below, one of her creations from last year, featuring the
Muppets, is displayed.
photo contributed by Sharon Nelson
10 Questions with
Olivia Sollows
By Ginger O’Day
Staff Writer
1. If you could be anywhere in the
world right now, where would you be?
“Florida, because it’s hot there.”
2. What’s your favorite word?
“Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”
3. If you could be any animal, which one
would you be?
“Cows, because they have udders.”
4. What’s your favorite part about being
at Barnstable High School?
“The people! They’re nice.”
photo by Ginger O’Day
Since eighth grader Olivia Sollows is afraid of spiders, perhaps
she should stay away from Mr. Blazis’ pet tarantula.
6. What’s your least favorite food?
“Corn; it gets stuck in your teeth.”
7. If you could be any celebrity for a day,
who would you be?
“Sandra Bullock, because she’s funny.”
8. What’s your biggest fear?
“Spiders. They bite!”
9. What’s the one thing you can’t live
without?
“Food.”
10. If a genie in a bottle granted you three
wishes, what would they be?
5. If you could only listen to one song for “World peace, to be famous, and to have
the rest of your life, what would it be?
more wishes.”
“Gas Pedal.”
12
Get
To
Know
Your
...
by Nikki Capeless
and Jenny Griffin
Staff Writers
Mrs. Karen
Gauthier
C
o
u
n
s
e
l
o
r
s
Where the eighth
grade halls meet the rest
of the school, Mrs. Karen
Gauthier can be found in
her office catching up with a
new student or comforting a
distressed junior.
Gauthier has been
the House E guidance
counselor for 10 years. “I take
a lot of pride in knowing my
students and taking a personal
approach to their lives.”
One of the most important
things Gauthier takes into
consideration as a guidance
counselor is that the “students
feel comfortable talking to
me about any sort of
issue no matter what it
is.”
Gauthier
likes to stay involved
with her students
by
attending
various activities
such as school
plays, games,
and events, and
by keeping in touch
with students who
have
graduated.
Her goal is for
students to have “a
smooth
transition
from grade to grade
and they’re able to
plan for what they
want to do after high
school.”
Most people
wouldn’t know that she
was featured on the tv
show “Romper Room” as a
child.
Mr. Shawn
Kingman
Mrs. Jennifer
Clark
Mr. James
Buckman
Mrs. Alexis
Tellert
Optimist and golf lover Mr.
Shawn Kingman is in his third year
as a school counselor.
Unlike the House Office
school counselors, Kingman has
kids from each house. “Instead of
a house counselor having 450 kids,
I will get 70 of them [from each
house] creating a mix of kids from
all houses.”
Kingman, a former
history teacher, explained
that his goal as a counselor
is to “prepare kids for the
real world, support
what they want in the
future, and meet thir
social, emotional,
and
academic
needs.” Kingman
also takes pride in
seeing his students
emerge from school
having
completed
goals they never
thought they would
be able to reach.
In his spare
time, Kingman loves
to play golf, to watch
sports, to go to the
beach, and to get
away for weekends.
K i n g m a n ’s
philosophy is to
“always look at
the
glass half full,”
and
to
make
sure
the
“positives
always
overcome the negatives.”
The never dull Mr.
James Buckman has been
working as the House B
guidance counselor for 21
years.
“Every
day
is
different. I love the students
and faculty, especially in my
little area.” Buckman is quick
on his feet when it comes
to prioritizing between his
students’ issues, multitasking,
and college counseling. The
2000 Massachusetts Counselor
of the year’s main goal is
to “help kids be college
and career ready and to
help them transition to
the outside world.”
Outside
of
being
a
counselor
Buckman
is
the girls cross
country coach
in the fall and
the girls track and
field coach in the
winter. He enjoys
having the summers
off, spending time
with his family,
traveling,
trying
new things, and
entertaining others.
Buckman’s
word of advice to
students is “Laugh,
love, and make the
most out of your high
school experience.”
In her third year
doubling as a school counselor
and department head, Mrs.
Jennifer Clark’s plate is always
full.
Unlike
other
counselors, Clark has a variety of
responsibilites which range from
head of online learning to head of
career counseling.
Each school year, Clark
recieves 20-25 eighth graders
and sticks by their side for the
rest of their high school life
helping them socially,
emotionally,
and
academically.
“I’m an advocate
for the students,”
explained Clark.
One
of
her
goals as a school
counselor is to make
sure that she helps the
students with anything
they have problems
with in order to achieve
success in any area of
school.
Clark expressed her
immesurable love for her job
and joy in seeing those students
who succeed when others
counted them out.
The outgoing and
charming Ms. Alexis Tellert
is 100 percent a BHS fan.
“Barnstable
is
my favorite school that I
have worked at. I like the
students a lot and I get the
opportunity to really know
the students through sports,
plays, clubs, etc.” said
Tellert.
Her goal, she said,
is to “get to know kids and
help them get to their future
while they are here at BHS”.
Tellert is spending
her sixth year as a
counselor for the Red
Raiders, but what many
may not know is that she
loves dance and music,
more specifically:
Aviccii. She also
loves to read,
rollerblade, and
spend time with
her husband and
two dogs.
Te l l e r t ’s
favorite memory of
the job is graduation
each June.
She enjoys
seeing her students
whom she has
helped along the
years and watched
grow, walk across the
stage and receive a wellearned diploma.
Not only a
counselor in the halls of
the 2700’s, Tellert also
runs conferences in the
summer. “It’s my summer
job.”
features
Mr. Ted Skirvan
The artistic Mr. Ted
Skirvan has been a counselor
for 11 years at BHS.
“I love high school
students because something
is different everyday,” said
Skirvan . “I want to make sure
they get the most out of their
career and meet their goals”.
Not only a caring
and involved counselor,
Skirvan is also a family
man. Skirvan said he
loves to travel and spend
time with his wife
and two children.
Other
than
being a father,
husband, and
counselor,
Skirvan likes
to embrace
his
artistic
ability.
S k i r v a n ’s
favorite
memory
of
the job while at
BHS has always
been graduation
where he can see
kids who he helped
throughout the years
finally make it and
go into the real world
after high school.
Mr. Brian
Wanat
Mr. Brian Wanat
has been working as the
House C counselor for 12
years. The father of three
and former University
of Rhode Island Ram
mascot, explained how his
main purpose as a school
counselor is to “help kids
get through high school and
help their parents see them
grow up and transition into
adults.” Wanat said that
stress can wear on students
and reminds everyone
to “enjoy high school, it
should be fun.”
In
his
free
time Wanat enjoys
working out and
spending time with
his kids. Last year
he
participated
in the “Tough
Mudder,” a 26
mile run. Wanat
also
enjoys
boxing with his
son and it has
become a favorite
activity of his.
Wanat also
owns a landscaping
company called Brico
Landscaping (Brico
also doubles as his
nickname) which he
deems his “summer
job”.
continued13
Dances Go Downhill
New Food
Restrictions in
Handbook
Continued from pg. 1
Cibrowski
explained
that
although the percentages weren’t
too far off from each other, there
still needs to be progress in order
to bring those percent values
down.
photo by Zoe Calianos
Jordan Nicholas, Jillian Thomas, Sarah Kerr, Hayley Adams, Mia Crawley, Meghan Fowler and
Emma Fields are all smiles at homecoming even with the lights still on.
students purchased tickets. He
Continued from pg. 1
credits this partially to the officers
ordering supplies online, and and seniors who he said did an
making multiple trips to Home effective job spreading the word
Goods and Party America.
and getting people energized.
Rachele Dawson, senior, Margot Rice, vice president of
said, “Prom is nice. Homecoming the junior class, said that it is
is okay. Everything else is a no.” definitely more of a challenge
Why is that so? Dayna Moylan, now because the officers have
senior, said, “People think it’s to come up with new events that
stupid if one person says it.” Allie they think people will want to
Charon, senior, referred to this as go to. The junior class officers
the “domino effect.”
are considering implementing a
Perhaps it is a more simple voting system to decide on class
problem though, Jack Pipatti, events in order to guarantee that
sophomore, admitted that it is students are interested.
just too hot. “If it was nice and
In addition to leaving
cool for the dances, I’d have no behind a senior gift, senior year
complaints,” Pipatti said.
traditionally includes prom, a
Despite the heat and the so-called senior breakfast, and a senior
“domino effect,” homecoming trip, all of which cost money.
this year had a higher attendance The senior class officers are
than in recent years. Jansen currently composing a fundraiser
estimated that around 800 for parents with a goal of raising
$2,000 to $3,000 dollars. “We’re
trying,” said Jansen.
“People expect a lot
from us, but they’re
not
willing to help out or actually
make anything happen,” said
Bentivegna. Frustrated by the
class’ lack of participation,
the officers have devised a
committee system. Their hope is
that by separating students into
interest-based committees with
weekly meetings, they can figure
out what the students want.
“I don’t think people
realize that you only go through
high school once, and they take
it for granted,” said senior class
treasurer Cam Curtin. Curtin said
that most students are just “along
for the ride, but only a select few
make things happen.”
Continued from pg. 1
not as competitive. For example,
when the Raiders beat B.C. High
they earned more points than they
would have if they beat a lower
ranked team such as Sandwich.
High,” said Whidden. The only
loss, as of press deadline was
the first game against DennisYarmouth.
Derek Estes, senior
varsity football player, said that
being in a new division hasn’t
changed much. Estes, 23, is a
receiver and a cornerback. Estes
credited all the team’s success
to Whidden who “stuck with us
through thick and thin.” Estes said
that all the hard work the boys put
in, which includes sprints, updowns, and conditioning, comes
together Friday night in the
fourth quarter.
Colton Bergal, junior
varsity football player, said that
“it’s not a rebuilding year like
everyone expected.” Bergal, 45,
is a linebacker. “We are a good
team and we put in the work;
we’re shooting for the stars,” said
Bergal about the Super Bowl. In response to questions
about a repeat visit to the state
finals, Whidden said, “Our goal
is the same as it is every year:
to make sure we maximize our
potential as a team.”
“The restrictions
are understandable with substituting unhealthy
foods with
healthy ones, but
limiting [a party]
to one unhealthy
choice I feel is
unreasonable.”
--Madison Harrington
Since these rates have not
improved, Cibrowski has been
looking into different ways to
tackle obesity in the town of
Barnstable. “Some of it is having
everybody start changing the
culture is the school [to strive]
towards wellness-- and that’s a
huge task.”
Issued this year, there
have been some new dietary
regulations within the student
handbook in order to promote
healthy eating. A few of the
dietary restrictions include: No
food or beverage shall contain
more than trace amounts of
caffeine. No food shall contain
more than 200 mg of sodium per
item. All breads or grain-based
products shall be whole grain or
partial grains.
There
have
also
been restrictions placed upon
celebrations in the classroom.
The student Handbook states,
“Schools
should
consider
limiting celebrations that involve
food during the school day to no
more than one party per class
per month. Each party should
include no more than one food
or beverage that does not meet
nutrition standards for foods and
beverages sold individually.”
“The restrictions are
understandable with substituting
unhealthy foods with healthy
ones, but limiting [a party] to
one unhealthy choice I feel is
unreasonable,” Harrington said
of the handbook celebration
restrictions created in order to
help promote healthy living in
BHS.
New Division, Same Game
“Our goal is
the same as it
is every year:
to make sure we
maximize our
potential as a
team.”
--Chris Whidden,
varsity football coach
At the end of the regular
seven week schedule, three more
games will be played. Who
the team will play will depend
on what their power ranking
is. Teams with similar power
numbers will be matched up to
play one another. This is why
there is such a small number
of home games so far on the
schedule, but depending on how
well the Raiders do during their
first seven games, they could
potentially earn more home
games.
Because of the way the
playoff games are configured,
every game counts toward the
chances of making it to the
playoffs. Last season, the team
focused on league games, but
because of the new system each
win will help them for the post
season, said head varsity football
coach Chris Whidden.
The first rounds of the
playoffs will take place before
Thanksgiving this season, so
after the Thanksgiving games
there will only be two teams
left to compete for the state
championship in each division.
Since the annual Barnstable
versus Falmouth game is played
on Thanksgiving Day, it will not
count towards the playoff system.
Whidden, however, still sees it as
another competitive game with
the prize being “bragging rights.”
The new division and
play off system doesn’t seem
to be intimidating the Raiders.
“We didn’t start as well as we
had hoped, but the team really
bounced back and put together
a good performance against BC
photo by Nikki Capeless
Despite bigger and tougher competition, Barnstable High School
football is making a name for itself in its new division.
14 features
Cheap Eats: Rendezvous Cafe
By the
Numbers:
By Madeline Terrio
Staff Writer
Halloween
Edition
170
Milllion
Americans celebrated Halloween last year.
$79.82
is the average amount
Americans spend on
Halloween each year.
27.1%
of Americans look for
costume ideas via social
media sites.
41 million
trick-or-treaters between
the ages of 5 and 14 are
estimated to be out on
Halloween night.
$113 million
the value of pumpkins
harvested from the top six
pumpkin producing states.
68.5%
of Americans plan on
celebrating Halloween.
13.4%
of adults plan on wearing
a witch costume this year.
11%
of children plan on wearing
a princess costume.
47.8%
of Americans carve
pumpkins for Halloween.
73.5%
of households plan on
handing out candy to trickor-treaters on Halloween. 11.5%
Halloween revelers dress
their pets up as well.
85.3%
of Americans between the
ages of 18 and 24 celebrate
Halloween.
Sources: The National Retail
Federation, The US Census Bureau
By Ginger O’Day
Staff Writer
People tend to get in a
rut when it comes to going out
to eat. We try out places until
we find the restaurants with our
favorite foods and the reasonable
prices. Usually, we stick to the
same sandwich shops or burger
joints. But what happens when
we get tired of it? That’s when
its time to take a chance on
our empty stomachs and try
something new. The Rendezvous
Cafe and Creperie on Main Street
in Hyannis is the perfect place to
do so.
The Cafe opened in June
of 2012. The restaurant, only
being opened for a little over a
year, seems like it has been there
for years. It is the perfect place
to meet and dine with friends.
The name Rendezvous, meaning
a meeting place in French, fits it
perfectly as the room was filled
with friends and colleagues
chatting over their meals. Photos
and paintings done by local artists
surround the warm and inviting
room, a touch that testifies to the
fact that Rendezvous is truly a
unique place.
As you approach the
counter to order, the first thing
you see is the surprisingly large
menu. The menu focuses on
mainly lunch entrees, offering
paninis, sandwiches, soups, and
their specialty: savory or sweet
A scrumptious Monte Cristo Panini from Rendezvous Cafe and Creperie.
crepes. They also offer an array
of morning sandwiches and cafe
beverages, as well as seltzers and
fresh sodas. The sandwiches and
crepes range from the reasonable
price of $6 to $9. I ordered
myself the pesto chicken crepe
and my fellow staff writer Cate
Harrington ordered the Monte
Cristo panini.
Shortly after we sat
down, our food was ready. And
when my crepe came out, it was
at a perfect temperature, not
steaming, but definitely not cold.
Inside the large folded crepe was
chicken, tomato, fresh mozzarella
and a pesto spread. The crepe was
fresh and delicious, everything
Woodshop
Behind the
Scenes
By Orlando Henry
Staff Writer
Students at Barnstable
High School have a wide variety
of elective courses available
to them at BHS. One of these
courses is Wood Tech, commonly
referred to as wood shop. The
woodshop is in room 1716, across
from the senior cafe.
These classes are taught
by Mr. Thomas Andrulot, who
has been teaching wood shop
at Barnstable High School for
19 years. He teaches students a
similar process for most projects:
design, measure wood, estimate
cost, cut and surface wood, shape
the wood, assemble, sand, and,
finally, provide a finish.
“Wood shop is an opportunity for
students to learn how to use hand
tools, power tools and machines
safely,” said Andrulot. In wood
shop, the students often make
various projects based on the
class or student’s ability.
Typically, Wood Tech
One students makes basic
projects such as step stools,
while Wood Tech Two makes
more advanced projects, such as,
adirondack chairs. The wood used
to make the projects comes from
Down and Readers Hardwood
Company, Inc. The types of wood
used in wood shop are mainly
poplar and oak.
Each of Andrulot’s
classes normally produce two to
three projects per student each
year. Sometimes wood tech two
builds numerous objects for the
school. Last year, they assembled
sand barrel stands, fixed picnic
tables and made the adirondack
chairs outside the junior/senior
cafe.
They
also
make
smaller
items,
including
wooden pumpkin ornaments for
Halloween, and pen and pencil
sets. The pens and pencils made
by wood shop students are made
out of wood and acrylic, except
for some pieces that are made
with plastic. Each of these pens
are hand made by students in the
wood shop, and are now being
sold. A pen and pencil cost $15
each, and a wooden case costs
$10, for a total cost of $40 if you
that I expected. Cate’s Monte
Cristo was very different from
my typical tomato and mozzarella
combo. Her panini was made
with maple dipped country bread,
ham, smoked turkey and gruyere
cheese. I had to fight myself on
not reaching across the table
and taking a bite. This was not
your average ham and cheese
sandwich.
After Cate and I cleaned
our plates, we decided to finish
off our meal with a sweet crepe
to share. We decided on the
chocolate chip crepe. The sweet
crepe was my favorite part of the
meal. If you like chocolate then
this is definitely the meal for you.
photo By Cate Harrington
The sweet crepes come in many
flavors ranging from a banana
foster option to a Nutella and fluff
crepe.
Overall, the experience
was wonderful. The food was
not too expensive, especially
considering the amazing quality
of the meal. The wait staff was
kind and seemed ready to make
everyone’s experience at the
cafe the best it could be. I was
impressed by the service and
ambiance of Rendezvous as well.
So, next time you want to go to
the same restaurant for the third
weekend in a row, try something
different and head on over to
Rendezvous.
Photo by Grace Elletson
Sophmores Andrew Fisher and Bob Melvin are using the lathe to
shape the body of a pen in Wood Tech II.
bought the entire set. The Cobb
Grant finances the funds for the
purchase of materials to make
the pens and pencils. “The money
collected from the sales of these
pens and pencils will return to aid
in the production of other pens
and pencils,” said Andrulot. The seniors from the
wood tech classes showcase their
finished projects at the Guyer
Barn. They showcase items such
as pedestals, adirondack chairs
and pens and pencils. James Kelly
and Bob Melvin said that signed
up for Wood Tech Two due to
their admiration of Andrulot, and
the experience they had gained in
Wood Tech One.
features Artist Captures Local Scenery
By Maggie McNulty
Staff Writer
Everyone
sees
the
world in a different light. Local
American Impressionist Sam
Barber is living proof of this
fact. While he literally does see
Cape Cod’s light that reflects off
the ocean and back to the sky to
create a luminescence perfect for
painting, he also finds the beauty
in seemingly ordinary objects
such as rocks and dead branches.
Where some see these objects
for what they are, Barber sees
sleeping ducks and the Blessed
Mother Mary masked by rocks;
and within dead branches, elegant
ballet dancers.
Originally from Europe,
Barber came to the United States
as a child and has been a
longtime resident of Cape Cod,
having lived in both Hyannisport
and Centerville. Around this
same time he came to the United
States, he discovered his love for
art and painting.
He claims to have been
a quiet boy in his childhood and
was often overshadowed by other
more outgoing children until he
discovered his talent for art. After
this discovery, he began to earn
praise and attention from his art
and from then on he knew that
15
was what he wanted to do with
the rest of his life.
“You must
have love for everything, love for
nature, love for
people. You have
to love people to
paint people.”
-Sam Barber
A religious man, Barber
credits God for his talents and
often gathers inspiration from
religious figures such as the
Blessed Mother Mary, whom he
believes is the most graceful and
beautiful woman to
ever walk the earth.
To hone his natural
talent, Barber attended several
academies for the arts, including
the Art Student League in New
York, the National Academy of
Design, and the Cape Cod School
of Art in Provincetown.
Barber is known for his
use of color and transparency in
his paintings. At the beginning
photo by Maggie McNulty
Local artist Sam Barber, pictured in his studio in Osterville, enjoys to paint Cape Cod because of
the light and natural surroundings.
of his career he used to draw and
fill in his drawings with paint, but
he said he has since changed his
style from his original stiff style
to a freer and more graceful style.
“You must have love
for everything, love for nature,
love for people. You have to love
people to paint people.” This is
Barber’s advice for anybody who
wishes to paint and develop their
own style.
Success did not come
instantaneously for Barber and it
was a long time before his art was
displayed in galleries. Barber’s
words of wisdom for aspiring
artists are, “you have to love your
art for richer or for poorer. If you
love art so much that you don’t
care about the money, the time
will come for success.”
And indeed was Barber
successful. Over the longevity of
his career, 1200 of his paintings
have been either sold or featured
in one of 35 museums. Some of
these clients include Bill Clinton,
the Kennedys and 3 royal families.
Even with all of these paintings,
his personal favorites depict his
wife, Janie, and his now grown
sons, Freddy and Paul.
Barber now has a studio
in Osterville and can always be
found wearing his signature hand
16sports
sports
Stand Out Star:
17
De Almeida Dribbles to Success
photo by Rachael Crossley
De Almeida plays year-round on multiple soccer teams, and is a
top scorer on BHS’s Varsity boys team.
By Julianne Santos
Staff Writer
Senior Varsity Boys
Soccer
player
Pedro
De
Almeida, has been a much talked
about player recently. But De
Almeida’s devotion to soccer
and his skills began when he
was just a child back in Brazil.
At just three years
of age, De Almeida dribbled
his first soccer ball. Although
he admits the game was not
necessarily played “well” by
his family, he was influenced
by his father to play the sport.
Throughout his youth, De
Almeida learned the majority of
his skills from an older influence.
Now in high school,
De Almeida plays forward and
stands as one of the most valuable
players to the soccer team,
according to varsity soccer coach
Fadner Pierre. Pierre first met De
Almeida during his eighth grade
year in Pierre’s French class and
ever since, the two soccer players
have been practicing together.
“He’s like a little
brother to me…when he does
something wrong, I am always
calling his mom and checking
up on him,” said Pierre.
Aside from not playing
his junior year, De Almeida
has played for BHS’s soccer
team since eighth grade. Since
the beginning, Pierre has
noticed De Almeida’s talent.
“He’s a great player,
knows the rules, and has
tons of skill,” said Pierre.
During De Almeida’s
sophomore year of high school
he was considered the top
scorer for the JV Boys Soccer
team, according to Pierre.
As a senior, De Almeida has
several responsibilities, the most
challenging ones that he faces
are battling academic work
and his practice on the field.
De Almeida spends a
large majority of his time playing
the game he loves. At some points
during the season, he also plays
for other teams like the Crusaders
or the travel team. “The seriousness
that takes over
my mind and
body for those
full 90 minutes
is like no other.
I’ve been playing since I was
old enough to
walk...”
-- Pedro De Almeida
Soccer for this senior player is
not just a seasonal game. Instead,
De Almeida plays year-round
through the winter and summer
with friends and teammates. De
Almeida said, “The seriousness
that takes over my mind and
body for those full 90 minutes is
like no other. I’ve been playing
since I was old enough to walk...
I couldn’t think of myself
doing anything else in college
other than playing soccer.”
In
spite
of
the
substantial stress of school work
and play time, De Almeida
dribbles his way past obstacles
and still keeps a lively attitude.
“He’s
a
ball
of
energy. He’s always having
fun and smiling,” said Pierre.
De Almeida’s talent
and skill doesn’t just impress
others, but also inspires the
younger soccer players. “He’s
always
encouraging us to do better,
to do our best,” said junior
Matt
Campos.
Campos
and De Almeida have been
playing soccer for six years
according to Campos. “[Pedro] is a very
good winger and forward.
He’s really good at dribbling,
passing and shooting. Overall,
he’s a very good player.”
With
concerns
to
college, this star player is still
in the process of finding the
perfect school to fit both his
academic and sports activities.
“I’ve looked into many
schools like UMass Lowell
or Massasoit, but I definitely
want to play soccer in college,”
said De Almeida. “It’s my life;
I live for it and I don’t plan
on stopping anytime soon.”
New AD Comes with Experience
By Cate Harrington
Staff Writer
This year Barnstable
High School has a new Athletic
Director, Scott Thomas. Thomas
is very experienced in this
field and is excited to be here.
For 10 of the last 11
years, Thomas has been working
as the athletic director at Chatham
High School where he also taught
physical education and coached
varsity soccer and baseball.
Since Chatham and Harwich
are merging this year to form
Monomoy, Thomas saw it as a
good time to change things up.
“I was looking for a
new opportunity,” said Thomas.
“I am very happy to be here.”
Thomas grew up here
on Cape Cod where he attended
Nauset High School. He went off
to the University of Rhode Island
to play baseball and even played
in the Cape League for three years.
Going from a small
school like Chatham to a big
school like Barnstable, could be
hard to adjust to, but Thomas
is not worried about the new
environment. “It’s the same job,
just more of it,” said Thomas.
Thomas said the biggest
change from the job in Chatham
to the one in Barnstable, is
not knowing as many of the
students. Since he taught and
coached at Chatham, he knew
almost everyone, while here he
is still trying to put names with
faces. The biggest difficulty
for him is not coaching a team
because he used to enjoy it so
much. But the pros definitely
outweigh the cons for Thomas.
“My favorite part
of the job is the relationships
you develop with the coaches,
student athletes, and other
athletic directors,” said Thomas.
At Chatham, Thomas
didn’t have a secretary or trainer
so he is very appreciative of Robin
Kipniss and Keith Charagotis’
dedication and hard work.
Part of the reason why
Thomas isn’t intimidated by a
larger school is because of his
other professional experience.
Thomas worked at Rivier
University in Nashua N.H. as
the assistant athletic director and
head soccer and baseball coach.
photo by Emma Gauthier
The new AD, Scott Thomas, is eager to get to know coaches, students and other athletic directors in his new postition at BHS.
He has also taught and coach at
Chelmsford High School and
even coached football in a town
right outside of Houston, Texas.
Since settling in at
BHS, Thomas is focusing on
keeping the transition smooth. He
took over for Steve Francis who
has returned to the classroom
as a physical education teacher,
“I plan to come in and
assess the program,” said Thomas.
“I want to see what works well
and make little changes here and
there, but I need to be here longer
before I make any big changes.”
Thomas recognizes the
success of many of the programs
here at Barnstable High School.
“There are many successful
teams and great coaches here,”
said Thomas. “It’s a great place
to be and I want to put my
thumbprint on the program.”
18 sports
Club Soccer Team Travels to England
By Cate Harrington
Staff Writer I was sitting on the limo
bus, on July 24, overwhelmed
with excitement, as 13 of my
teammates and best friends were
riding beside me. The music
was blasting and everyone was
singing along. I sat back in my
seat for a moment to allow myself
to absorb it all and that’s when it
finally hit me: we were going to
England.
I had been waiting for
this day for over a year and I
couldn’t believe it was actually
here. For months, my team and
I had trained together, trying
to perfect our game skills and
physical fitness levels. The club
team consisted of players from
Barnstable, Sandwich, Mashpee,
Dennis, Yarmouth, Carver, and
Halifax.
Although we were going
to England to play soccer, there
was so much more to the 7 day
trip. Our coaches, Lee Docherty
and Meghan Fligg, wanted us to
have an experience that we would
remember for a lifetime. They
wanted us to play the game we
loved in a country different than
our own, while also becoming
more cultured young women. It was important to our
coaches that the cost was kept as
low as possible, so that girls from
any economic background could
participate. With that in mind,
we didn’t stay in London. (We
did get to walk around and see
the sights of the city though.) We
stayed in the county of Cornwall,
which is as southeast as you can
get in England.
Cornwall
resembles
Cape Cod in many ways; it is
right on the ocean and there are
many small, ancient villages.
Many of the town names were
even the same as those in Cape
Cod and Massachusetts such as
Plymouth, Falmouth, and Truro.
We stayed in a sort of
apartment or “flat”, as the British
call it, at Exeter University. Our
coach Tony Kerr, along with his
photo contributed by Cate Harrington
The UKSD soccer team poses in front of a telephone booth in London.
girlfriend Stef, would be our so- A team that was ready to take on thrift store to purchase sweaters
and jackets. It was quite a bonding
called “tour guides” for the week. England.
We had one big game experience to be walking around
Tony goes to school at Exeter and got us full access to the fields and scheduled against Liskeard FC town already getting looked at
all the facilities the university (one of the best girls’ soccer as tourists, wearing second hand,
had to offer. He had coached the team in the country), but not ornate clothing.
majority of our team when we until the middle of the week, so
were younger, but had to move we decided to make the most
back to the UK for school. We out of our time in England. We
were all excited to be able to visited the city of Truro, which
spend the week with him and he was about 15 minutes (by double
was the one that helped put this decker bus) from campus. There
was a beautiful cathedral and
all together for us. many stores for shopping and
souvenir- buying.
Another big hit was the
Eden Project. The Eden project
is a non-profit organization
that raises awareness about the
environment. The project is
composed of huge bio domes
with ecosystems imitating the
ecosystems of different tropical
regions worldwide.
Although every day
We also visited the local of our trip brought its own
castles in a nearby town called adventure and excitement, the
Although years had Falmouth and went kayaking on most memorable moment was
passed since we had all seen each the island of St. Mawes. It was game day. The overwhelming
other, it was as if not a day had my favorite day of the trip, even anticipation and nervousness that
gone by. We were a team again. though it was easily below 60 came with game day is a feeling
degrees, severly overcast, and I never want to forget. Since our
even at times lightly drizzling. We game was not until 7 p.m., our
were so cold after our kayaking coaches organized yoga in the
tour that we pooled our money morning to help us calm down
together and went to the local and the rest of the day we just
I had been waiting for this day
for over a year
and I couldn’t believe it was actually here.
Even though
we tried to relax,
nothing could stifle the excitement
we each had,
waiting for the
moment we could
take the field.
hung out and learned to play
cricket. Even though we tried
to relax, nothing could stifle the
excitement we each had, waiting
for the moment we could take the
field.
The ride to the game
was an intense hour-long drive
to Liskeard’s home field, or
“pitch” as the English call it.
Upon arriving, we were shown
to our locker room and I couldn’t
help but feel like I was in an old
English soccer movie. Not only
did we have our own locker room,
but we got to walk out in front
of the crowd and stand on the
field as they played our national
anthem. This was something
that we had only seen on t.v. and
it brought a sense of pride and
honor to the game we were about
to play.
The game was really
close, but we ended up losing 2-1,
with a goal scored by Liskeard
within the final five minutes of
the game. Even though we were
all upset at the time, the result
on the score board could not take
away how amazing playing in
England had been.
We exchanged gifts of
gratitude with the other team
and took pictures together before
getting on the bus to head back
home. In those moments standing
side by side with a team from a
world away, I had truly never
felt more grateful or honored
to be given such a monumental
opportunity. During the course of
a 90 minute soccer game we had
not only played a game we love,
but we formed friendships with
girls that we would otherwise
never have even met. The girls on
the other team even came over for
a 5 on 5 tournament and barbeque
the next afternoon.
Along with the memories
of playing soccer in England, we
now have made friendships, with
soccer lovers just like us, half
way across the world.
sports
Going Online
By Emma Gauthier
Staff Writer
Charles Blondin made
tightrope walking synonymous
with mystery and awe. The
1880’s era performer was famous
for performing daring feats on
tightropes over Niagra Falls, one
in particular involving Blondin
carrying a stove and utensils
on his back to the center of the
cable, and cooking himself an
omlette, according to an article
in the Smithsonian Magazine.
Blondin was fearless in his
attempts to stun and inspire the
crowds of thousands that would
come to witness his tricks.
However, it’s possible
that Blondin may have looked
twice before stepping out onto the
the slackline, a different way for
the acrobatic (and not) to exercise
and hang out. Slacklining differs
from regular tightrope walking
because the line that “slackers”
use--nylon webbing or cable-is not held rigidly taught. The
literal slack in the line makes
slacklining perfect for everything
from acrobatic tricks, to yoga.
The sport was developed
by climbers in Yosemite Valley,
California, during the late 1970s
and early 1980s, according to
professional slackliner, Faith
Dickey’s website. “When they
were not climbing, they took flat
nylon webbing they used while
climbing and stretched it between
two rocky outcroppings over a
void, and then learned to walk
and balance on it,” the site states.
Since then, it has
evolved into similar but diverse
methods. People are constantly
coming up with new ways to
walk across a nylon tightrope.
All these methods involve
walking on a loosely taught
stretch of rope between two trees,
but variations like tricklining,
highlining, and slackline yoga
make the sport so different.
Tricklining
entails
performing stunts on the
slackline. They are as simple as
just walking across the line, to
doing backflips, “butt bouncing,”
or any other balancing maneuvers.
Gibbon Slacklines, a company
which sells slackline kits, hosts
a plethora of short videos to
help beginners learn new tricks.
BHS’s resident slacker, Ben
Falacci, sophomore, said he first
learned slacklining from a friend
in Mexico who was very well
versed in intense slackline tricks.
“He can lay down, jump
up on it, and do a sommersault,
which is hard when you’re
doing it five feet off the ground,
on a thin stretch of material,”
Falacci said. He
practices
slacklining avidly, and even
has his own slackline between
two trees in his backyard to
try and improve his skills.
While tricklining is the most
common form of slacklining,
slackline yoga, or slackasana, is
growing in popularity. According
to yogaslackers.com, balancing
on a on a line is tough, but
holding yoga poses for extended
periods of time is even more
challenging, but very rewarding.
“Despite the seemingly
impossible nature of the act, it is
achievable by almost anyone with
a little bit of perseverance and
patience. The practice has many
layers, simultaneously developing
focus,
dynamic
balance,
power, breath, core integration,
flexibility, and confidence,”
according to its website.
After achieving the
balance
and
coordination
tricklining and slackline yoga
offer, a balance-loving, thrill
seeker can further challenge
themselves and try highlining,
a branch of slacklining that
allows for tricks and stability
at incredible heights. The
height is more intimidating,
and can break concentration, a
dire necessity for any slacker,
according to yogaslackers.com.
“You can slackline a
thousand feet off the ground,”
said Anna Sutton, an Eastern
Mountain
Sports
employee
who sells slackline kits, and has
slacklined a few times herself.
She says it’s hard to stand up
at first, especially if you’re
high up, but there are serious
benefits to walking the line.
“It’s fun,” Sutton said, “it’s
19
photo by Zoe Calianos
Sophomore Ben Falacci balances on his backyard slackline.
a great way to hang out, and
it really helps improve your
balance and core strength.”
If slackline seems like an
easy activity, think again. Falacci
remembers the struggles he had
during his first times on the line.
“I started about two years ago. It
was very hard, to be honest. I’m
already a swaying skyscraper
to begin with, so balancing on
a four inch wide rope off the
ground was a feat,” said Falacci.
Falacci’s advice to any new
slacker, is to just start low.
He also suggests narrowing
the legs. When you first start,
your legs automatically begin
to shake, making you fall.
But as far as keeping your
balance,
Falacci
suggests
some unconventional methods.
“I personally suck in my gut
and look at my feet. I don’t
know why, but it makes me
balance better,” Falacci said.
20
sports
Fall Athletes In Action
photo by Ally Iseman
Senior Sarah Bess fights a Monomoy defender as Emily Penn, Emily Spalt and Emily Macallister
provide backup.
photo by Rachael Crossley
Above: Newton Jordao keeps the ball in Barnstable’s possession
in a game against Dartmouth.
Left: Hannah Andres spikes the ball in a match against Newton
North. Barnstable won all three sets.
photo by Madeline Terrio
John Andres takes the lead at Bridgewater Raynham and helps maintain the undefeated boys cross country team season.
photo by Maggie McNulty
arts, etc.21
By Zoe Calianos
Art Rennaissance in Cotuit
Staff Writer
Tucked away next to
a gas station in Cotuit is a little
red building with a little white
sign that reads “Cotuit Center
for the Arts”. Just driving by,
one might glance at the sign and
think, “Oh how nice, a little art
gallery”. Upon venturing down
the driveway, however, one
will quickly find that the Cotuit
Center for the Arts is no quaint
room filled with beach paintings.
Gnarly,
tangled
sculptures litter the lawn. One is
an animal, one is a towering chain
of what resembles car tires. Inside
the gallery, on a two-story high
wall, resides a mural.
But simply calling it
a mural somehow feels like an
insult. It’s a jungle. It’s living
and moving and enticing. It has
a depth that is hard to explain.
There is a woman, and a monkey,
and a few lions. But behind the
leaves and beyond the trees,
although invisible, the viewer can
sense that there are insects and
birds and lizards creeping and
crawling. It’s an interpretation
of Henri Rousseau’s The Dream,
painted in 1910 and now at the
Museum of Modern Art in New
York.
Ninety six different local
artists were sent square pieces of
the work, not knowing who the
artist was or what the painting
was. They were also given two
foot squares on which they were
directed to portray what was on
their square of the painting in any
medium they desired. Carl Lopes,
head of the BHS art department,
was one of the lucky 96.
“My style is bright and
colorful so I used holographic
paper, like the gift bags from
Christmas Tree Shop, to make it
glisten. The colors I used made it
pop,” said Lopes. His piece was
of foliage and it was right in the
middle.
On opening night, they
put the mural together piece-bypiece. The process took over two
hours. The audience of about
350 clapped wildly. Lopes said,
“Opening night was one of the
most fun and exciting openings I
have ever been to on Cape Cod.”
At the end of the show, they will
be raffling off each piece through
a lottery.
Box office worker,
Karen Santos, said, “They wanted
energy in each and every single
panel.” The curatorial committee
(the people who plan the exhibits)
requested that at least two colors
be used in each square.
The mural is a part
of a larger display called “He
Saw, She Saw, They Saw, We
Saw”. The “They Saw” is the
mural. The “He Saw, She Saw”
is a photography exhibit where
a husband and wife team,
Michael and Mary Carstenjen,
photographed the same places,
but with completely different
viewpoints. The wife interpreted
the surroundings as abstract,
while her husband preferred to
focus on the concrete.
The “We Saw” is an
interactive board where visitors
can contribute pictures from
their smartphones of anything
interesting they find in the gallery.
The Fine Arts II, III and
IV classes have each traveled to
see the display. The buses for
photo by Zoe Calianos
Ninety-six local artists came together to create this interpretation of Heri Rousseau’s The Dream.
the fieldtrip were paid for by the
Cotuit Center for the Arts. Rachel
Crossley, senior and Fine Arts IV
student, said, “It inspired us to
see differently and create our own
style of art.”
While
there,
the
students participated in the
“Zentangles” project. They were
asked to choose one word about
themselves to express on a small,
square piece of paper. These
papers are being assembled into a
quilt on the wall. Gabrielle Riley,
senior and Fine Arts IV student,
said “It was spectacular.” Lopes
was pleased with his students’
reactions and hopes that they will
continue to visit art centers.
The Cotuit Center for
the Arts is more than just a hub
for visual arts though; it has put
out over 20 full length theatrical
productions. Laura Shea, who
is a BHS math teacher by day,
is an actress by night. She has
performed in four Cotuit Center
for the Arts shows, Cabaret,
Grand Night, Company, and
Spamelot. Her favorite, she says,
was Company because she had
the “really good part” of the main
character’s girlfriend.
Shea originally started
performing in plays directed by
Jeffrey Billard, BHS English
teacher and drama director. She
heard about the Cotuit Center for
the Arts from a friend, and now
she’s hooked. “They put on great
shows. People come and say it’s
Broadway quality, but it’s just
community theater,” said Shea. During production, she
attends three-hour rehearsals
three times a week. As it gets
closer to the performance,
however, practices become five
to six days a week.
“I love my job here, but
my passion was always dancing
and theater. [The Cotuit Center
for the Arts] gives us the chance
to do what we love in our free
time,” said Shea.
The Cotuit Center for
the Arts is open for free from
10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mondays
through Saturdays. Santos said,
“It’s a happy place. The energy
is very happy and optimistic
and creative.” She hopes that
Barnstable High School students
will continue to visit and possibly
take advantage of their volunteer
opportunities.
22 arts, etc.
Where For Art Thou, Romeo?
By Mary Anglin
Staff Writer
Boys,
boys,
boys.
Barnstable High School’s Drama
Club may have a wide array of
actresses and singers, but when it
comes to its actors, the numbers
are a little less generous.
Although you may
recognize some of the familiar
male faces of drama club stars
Charlie Nash, Gabe Rourke,
Johnny Robinson, and some
cast favorites who have since
graduated BHS, there always
seems to be a little gender
imbalance among students who
participate actively in Drama
Club. According to its advisor Mr.
Ed O’Toole, the haunted house
can draw around an equal amount
of 50 to 60 volunteers of each
gender, while big productions
tend to pull less interest among
the guys.
Charlie Nash, senior and
co-president of the club said, “The
lack of boys has definitely been an
issue. I think drama club has been
generally viewed as a flamboyant
activity and guys are too scared
to ‘lower’ their status, especially
if they’re underclassmen. It’s
interesting to see how different
grades can be more willing to try
different things than others.”
Isabella
Macallister,
junior and member of the club,
said, “The type of extracurricular
activities you do shouldn’t
classify whether or not you try
out or a play. I think boys are
afraid of the musical aspects, like
singing and dancing.”
O’Toole
confirmed
this, saying that unfortunately
the chorus in the club’s musicals
isn’t a very gender diverse one,
and the number of male tryouts is
significantly less. This can make
casting and production of shows
more difficult.
“There’s less diversity
in the drama club when casting
male parts, so many of our shows
have the same actors again and
again. We’re always looking for
new talent,” said junior, Johnny
Robinson, who played the lead
character, ‘Seymour’, in “Little
Shop of Horrors” last year.
One of the main reasons
O’Toole hears from students
regarding not joining is that kids
have too many sports or that
drama just isn’t their forte.
“There are so many
sports, kids have two or even
three, and that does limit their
amount of participation. Students
do have demanding schedules,”
he commented.
Every year there seems
to be a flood of seniors, a great
deal of them boys, who join
shows and later wish they had
earlier. O’Toole said he gets at
least a few football players every
year who end up loving their time
in drama, even though they may
have originally written it off.
O’Toole added that
aside from other commitments,
there can sometimes be a stigma
around expressing yourself in
high school, which can prevent
photo by Jenny Griffin
Surrounded by girls, junior Gabe Rourke is of the male minority in the Drama Club.
kids from finding a true passion,
for fear of being labeled strange.
“Drama Club is a way
to bond with friends, go outside
your comfort zone, and connect
with people through telling a
story. There’s so much more to it
than acting,” Robinson explained.
“It provides me with a way to
express myself—something I
will never think of as strange or
dumb.”
Senior and co-president
of the club, Chloe Brumfield,
said she believes that there is a
noticeable absence of boys in
drama. “I think it’s because boys
Crossword
tend to want to look ‘cool’ in front
of their friends, especially in high
school. They end up joining and
regretting the fact that they didn’t
participate sooner.”
O’Toole agreed that the
shy side of guys often stops them
from pursuing a spot in the Drama
Club. “All kinds of guys do it;
it’s just the matter of working on
getting them to join. Kids always
regret not doing it sooner; they
just need to give it a shot.” He
added, “We can always work
around your practice schedule or
work schedule, whatever it is.”
Brumfield
suggested,
“Honestly just try it out. Nothing
bad will happen to you if you
join; you may just enjoy it!”
“People should try to be
the guy to start the trend,” said
Nash.
Both boys and girls alike
are encouraged to participate in
shows, big and small, or even
backstage, a whole other aspect of
the club. To join, see Mr. O’Toole
in Room 2726 for more details.
The answers are found throughout
the newspaper!
Across
Down
2. Wood-shop mainly uses oak
and ______.
1. Type of paper that Mr. Lopes
used to portray his square of the
mystery painting.
4. 39 states banned doing this
while driving.
5. This teacher wants to be “The
Old Lady Who Lived in a Shoe.”
7. Club that seems to be lacking
in gender balance.
12. This game is guaranteed to
make all players laugh.
14. A thin, nylon tightrope that
requires balance and bravery.
15. Wood-shop would be found
making these types of chairs.
16. This brand donates a pair
of shoes to a child in Africa for
every shoe sold.
17. Mrs. Gauthier was featured
on this children’s show when she
was younger.
18. This artist owns a studio
in Osterville and can be found
wearing hand painted shoes.
3. Rendezvous is known for this
dish.
6. Last spring 91% of sophomores
scored proficient or higher in this
section of MCAS.
8. This singer is a strong advocate
for gay rights and released the
song “Same Love.”
9. This activity was created to be
a physical education course at
BHS.
10. Nicole Deleon was caught
listening to this Jack Johnson
song.
11. This former Educational
Technology Coordinator will miss
working with the B2B program.
13. Olivia Sollow’s least favorite
food.
The first person to complete and bring to Ms. Netto in Room 2702 wins a prize!
arts, etc.
By Grace Elletson
Music With A Message
Staff Writer
By listening to the
lyrics of current popular
music, teenagers are given the
misconception that after they
graduate high school they’ll
have a couple thousand dollars
in their pockets, kick back at a
mansion and have a jet plane
waiting for them to fly to Paris
for the weekend, and then back
to Hollywood to continue their
fable of the “High Life.” What
happened to “real life?”
This idea of false
expectations has spread through
many music genres, but it’s most
blatant in hip hop. Too many
rappers are influencing young
minds that life is just about living
in a music video with hot rods of
every color. However, underneath
the mainstream hip hop music
the general public listens to on
the radio, there are “conscious
rappers.” And one seems to be
rising to fame very quickly-Ben Haggerty, better known as
Macklemore.
photo from Google
Macklemore tackles controversial issues in his music and
recognizes the impact he has on younger, easily influenced,
generations.
A conscious rapper is a musician
who writes about what’s
happening around him and his
songs tend to involve subjects
involved with politics and
social issues. One reason why
Macklemore exploded into the
top charts is because of the honest
reality his raps contains. Many of
his songs tackle subjects about
social stigmas, race, culture and
gay rights. Of course, he’s also
produced songs that are upbeat
and suggestive such as “Thrift
Shop,” “And We Danced,” and
“Can’t Hold Us,” but many of his
songs talk about real life issues
like “Wings.” It’s a song about
how brand names can control
our minds, especially of young
kids who think they can only be
someone if they have a pair of
Nikes on their feet.
Another one of his songs is
called the “The Otherside,” which
is about his past experiences with
drug addiction. He also calls out
other hip hop artists in the song
about how they need to appreciate
the power they have to reach and
influence kids, especially when
it comes to the glorification of
alcohol, drugs and sex in many
aspects of hip hop culture. The
song illustrates vulnerability and
honesty that people can relate to.
One of his most controversial
songs, “Same Love,” is rising
rapidly on the charts, yet radio
stations are still reluctant to play
it due to it’s message involving
gay rights. Macklemore is a
strong advocate for gay rights
and took a risk producing and
releasing this song in an industry
that’s sometimes discriminative
23
toward many different groups of
people, including homosexuals.
There’s no hiding the fact that
he’s a white rapper in a genre
that’s dominated by mostly black
artists. In the song “A Wake”
he addresses the fact that when
he’s interviewed he’s called
“refreshing,” and “poetic,” and
he feels that this might be subtly
related to his race because he’s
white and doesn’t rap as much
about sex, drugs violence, etc.
There’s something to be said
about a person who’s brave
enough to burst into an industry
and not just flow along with the
mainstream messages that life
is easy as long as you’re rich
and famous. Macklemore is a
very well articulated, intelligent
rapper-- but that’s not the point.
Unfortunately, this generation is
being raised by pop culture and
a lot of artists are dismissive
when it comes to recognizing that
power. Macklemore raps about
what’s real. He makes his words
count.
Catchphrase: “It’s On Seeing Stars
the Tip of My Tongue!”
photo by Nikki Capeless
photo by Ally Iseman
Insight staff members Jenny Griffin and Liam Russo, are all smiles while playing Catchphrase.
By Ally Iseman
Staff Writer
Catchphrase is certainly not
your typical board game. In fact, it
involves no board at all-- just one
circular device that can produce
hours of laughs, screaming, and
certainly frustration.
The point of the game is to
hint at as many clues as possible
to get someone to guess the
“catchphrase,” and the first team
to reach seven points wins that
round. And you can use just
about any gesture, sound, or word
(not in the phrase) to try and get
someone to say it. Any phrase
from “veto the bill” to “David
Beckham” will appear on the
screen and never fails to give the
clue giver quite the challenge.
The game can get pretty
physical when the clue-giver has
run out of ways to verbally explain
the phrase and resorts to playing
almost a game of charades, most
likely combined with some sound
effects. This is the perfect game
to bring to parties with friends
or family because just about any
number of people can play as
long as there are two teams.
The guidelines of the game
are certainly straightforward, and
only takes about one round to
really know how to play. The only
object required to play the game
is the device itself. The phrases,
an electronic timer, and builtin scorekeeper are all included.
Catchphrase was even featured
on the show Late Night with
Jimmy Fallon, where he played
along with Neil Patrick Harris
and two audience members.
It’s actually quite interesting
to see the game played with
complete strangers, and it
certainly is a quick ice breaker
when the players are barking
clues at one another, sometimes
laughing too hard to even get the
words out. The simple guidelines
of this game is what I think really
makes it fun.
The entertainment that the
game offers is really left up to
how the players interact amongst
each other. From a big party,
to just hanging out with a few
friends, playing Catchphrase will
certainly require some creativity
you may not know you had, and
countless laughs, too!
Oops, they did it again! Don’t mistake Meaghan
Donnelly (above) in the halls for 90’s pop sensation Britney Spears (below).
If you know a BHS celebrity look alike, let a staff member know or
email insight at [email protected].
Google image
24 Monday
school calendar
October 2013
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
25
Haunted House @
6 p.m.
Senior Night 6 p.m.
28
Girls Varsity Soccer
Game 6 p.m.
Monday
29
Haunted House @
6 p.m.
$30 due for caps and
gowns
30
Haunted House @
6 p.m.
26
Haunted House @
6 p.m.
Halloween
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
1
2
5
6
7
Term 1 Ends
TGA Rep Mtg
MCAS ELA Re-test
Election Day
11
12
Veteran’s Day
No School
18
19
14
20
10
16
17
21
MMSI Math 8:302:30 @ Wareham
High
22
23
24
Credit for Life Fair
(Seniors)
26
27
28
Thanksgiving
No School
No School
Monday
15
Report Cards
MCAS Re-test
Make-up
MCAS Re-test
Make-up
Renaissance
(Honor Students)
25
9
MCAS ELA Re-test
13
Mix It Up Day
MCAS Math Re-test
8
3
Daylight Savings
Ends
SATs @ 7:45 a.m.
4
27
31
November 2013
Tuesday
Sunday
29
No School
December 2013
Tuesday
Wednesday
30
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
1
$40 Due for Yearbook
2
3
4
5
6
Winter Sports Tryouts
10
11
12
13
Grades Close
(Progress Reports)
16
14
15
17
18
MMSI Science 8:302:30 @ BHS
19
20
Progress Reports
23
24
Christmas Eve
30
No School
8
SATs @ 7:45 a.m.
Pearl Harbor Day
9
No School
7
Christmas
31
New Year’s Eve
No School
25
26
No School
27
No School
21
22
First Day of Winter
28
29